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People who start a
business have more in mind than just making money. For example, Jim Morris
started selling art on a t-shirt to raise money for environmental causes and
Anne Beiler of Auntie Anne's Pretzels started a business to finance her
husband's missionary work. Not every business appears to be cause-oriented on
the surface, but, if you look behind the scenes of good companies, you find a
mission statement which has to do with service, making people's lives better,
etc. We know it is possible for small businesses to be mission driven whereas
it is difficult for big companies. Big companies have many layers of leadership
between the CEO and the people who actually touch customers. So, being
mission-driven is a huge competitive advantage we small business owner have
over the big guys. If you don't capitalize on this opportunity, your work is
much harder.
Topic for
Discussion: Jim Schell spoke of developing a vision and mission statement.
What is the difference?
Answer:
Having a vision means you can see in your mind's eye what doesn't exist today.
The mission is your statement of purpose, the way you are reaching toward the
vision. President Kennedy's vision was to put a man on the moon. The mission
became to provide science with the tools necessary to make the vision a
reality.
The vision you have
is the way you want things to be, not the way they are now. This is the primary
source of inspiration to small business owners. We are operating today
believing that the future will look as it does in our imagination. The old
story about the two brick layers explains: One brick layer is asked what he is
doing today and he says, "I'm laying brick." Another brick layer is asked the
same question and he says, "I'm building a cathedral." The second laborer has
the vision, the first does not. If you can only see what is real, you should
probably not start a business. What is your vision for your
business?
In just one
sentence, how would you answer the question, "Why are you in this business?'
When people ask me what we do, I say, "we are independent producers who create
a television program called SmallBusinessSchool. It airs on most PBS-member
stations. Our purpose is to change the way America defines hero and to tell the
truth about how business works from the inside out." Our purpose is our
mission.
The "why" behind
what you do will give you the clues you need to write a mission statement. The
"what you want the world to look like" down the road will give you the clues to
write a vision statement. Albert Black's mission for starting a business was to
create work for the people of his neighborhood. His vision was to see his
employees become affluent. Today, when you arrive at the headquarters of his
company, you'll see Volvos and BMWs in the parking lot. The reason this is so
movtivating is, he grew up in low-income housing and saw what not working does
to the souls of people.
You think about
it: What is the purpose of your business? What do you want to be able to
say you accomplished 20 years from now? |
