In this series of weekly posts I will ask a question for you to think about over the next week. The aim is to get you to think about your business from a different perspective, what they calling working ON your business not IN your business.

Most modern businesses state that they have a mission statement for their business. What is a mission statement? it is a short sentence written by a company or business that reflects the identity, values and purpose of the business. I always think of it as being a possibility that we set for ourselves and that we aspire to, that we are inspired by and that get us up in the morning saying “yay! bring it on”. If you are not getting up like this every morning maybe you need to think about this…

Some examples of mission statements:

Apple: “Apple is committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility in everything we do. The companies we do business with must provide safe working conditions, treat employees fairly, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made. ”

Esporta: “Our goal is to be the leading premium health & leisure club organisation in the UK, passionate about service excellence and dedicated to earning the long term loyalty of our members through rapport based relationships-Esporta-continually striving to help you improve the way you look and feel”

Nike: “To Bring Inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

Starbucks: “Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining
our uncompromising principles while we grow.”

Virgin Atlantic: “Safety, security and consistent delivery of the basics
are the foundation of everything we do.”

Where you have a bigger business, it is even more important that there is a cohesive vision for the business as described in the mission statement. There have been some very powerful vision statements in the past.. from Martin Luther King’s ” I have a dream” speech to J F Kennedy’s pledge to put a man on the moon and bring him back home to Winston Churchill’s ” We shall fight them on the beaches”. In a way a vision is a rallying cry that engages and inspires. If you are a small business or even a solopreneur you still need a vision for your business. Mine is to deliver ” insight, integrity, inspiration”.

However, it is crucial that you ensure that the vision is engaged with, and people can see and experience what is being lauded in the vision statement. If there is a mismatch there is a huge loss of trust, respect and business. In his great book, Unmarketing by Scott Stratten he devotes a chapter to great customer service and living a mission statement of the Wynn resort in Las Vegas and, by contrast another example of Walmart where there is a mismatch between the experience and the reality.

Over the next week just think about and write down or revisit your vision for your business. And perhaps the more crucial question to ask is:

What Are You Doing To Make Your Vision Live For Your Business?

Do you go and check what the service is like that you receive? If you run a therapy business what would people think and feel when they first come in. It is for this sort of feedback that businesses pay to have mystery shoppers. What if you treated every customer as a mystery shopper? What if you thought every customer could enhance or ruin your reputation by their experience? That question is rhetorical…. they can. If you don’t believe me go and look at twitter. So the question is: What are you doing to ensure excellence of service? What are you doing to ensure if there has been a breakdown that that is addressed as a matter of the utmost urgency?

Do Let me know below.

Using a different perspective gives you an opportunity to see where you can make changes that will shift your business. If you want more information or support through my coaching programme do contact me via twitter/ facebook or my website.

Good luck
Gill