Strategic Objective: Mission As Strength of Great Leaders

In our last discussion  on strategic objective as the first element of Programme or Transaction Logic, we dealt with the vitality of Vision to a positive and result-oriented Strategic objective.

This time, we will be looking at Mission, the second leg of the all-important strategic objective to the realisation of a positive transaction,  project or programme.

As you are aware, strategic objective is the manifestation of Vision and Mission, two vital elements that are rarely acknowledged and given due consideration in determining our strategic objectives to set the desired quantitative and qualitative outcome of our transactions or programmes,

Having already examined the role of Vision in strategy or strategic objective, let us  now take a look at the place of Mission in this regard.

Mission, though more  complex on it’s role, comprises four key elements, taking Andrew Campbell and his team’s position in their seminal work on Mission as set out in the Ashbridge Mission Model.

 

According to that Model, a Mission is classified into Purpose, Strategy, Standard of behaviour (structures, systems and policies) and Values.

Let us review the elements one by one.

Purpose:This  borders on why the organisation exists, narrowing it down on what  it exists for with people giving different reasons for the existence, including for instance claims that it exists for shareholders to maximise their value, to satisfy stakeholders, extending from the public, environment, customers and employees to shareholders. Yet, some others could say for a higher purpose as working for the business to succeed… I believe our future, as we know it, depends on it…

But in all, a higher purpose that benefits all is usually better than a narrow one that benefits a segment of the society.

Strategy

The second item of the Mission Model,  argues that strategy is necessary to achieve a purpose in a competitive world, stressing that strategy provides the commercial logic of a company. That aside, if it is  a company inkling to be the best, strategy becomes necessary to explain the principles around which it hopes to become the best.

Structure, Systems, Policies (Behaviour Standard)

The third item of the model, it posits that purpose and strategy are empty intellectual thoughts unless they are convertible to action, policy and behaviour guidelines to help people to decide what to do on a day-to-day basis.

Values

The fourth element of the model, values are beliefs and moral principles behind a company’s culture. (Shared Values & Culture) …culture is the glue that binds the organisation…

It’s widely understood that societies and organisations with weak culture or value systems find it very difficult to succeed sustainably.

Fundamentally, you can only envisage a strong mission when the above four elements – purpose, strategy, behaviour standard (structure, systems & policies) and values (shared values & culture) – exist and reinforce each other.

A company with a clear mission will outperform the other with none. This is without forgetting that there are varying distinctions between vision and mission

While a vision is more associated with a goal, mission is more of a way of behaviour or attitude, just as mission refers to a timeless explanation of an organisation’s identity and ambition, taking for instance,  Marks & Spencer’s …. “Raising the standards for the working man” targeted at good quality clothing at low cost that has remained a goal for eternity from the 1950s, 1990s and today to tomorrow.

A mission can remain the same and present members of the organisation to continuously draw strength from their common or timeless course.

Vision, as we have pointed out, therefore, is valuable because goals are valuable but it is the clarity of mission rather than vision we believe is  the strength of a great leader.

In times of change, a new mission will be difficult to distinguish from a vision because the new mission will be a mental image of the desirable future state.

Defining your mission is necessary. A team that clearly defines its mission will have an edge over a team that only defines its strategy because the team with a mission will have values and strategic concepts to guide it in times of difficulty and in makin important decisions while the team that has defined its  strategy only will only be equipped with commercial logic.

Mission stimulates better strategic thinking, better recruitment and promotion decisions, a reason companies of clear missions are choosier of the people they hire and fire.

Impliedly, evolving a strategy or strategic objective as a leader requires that you come up first with a clear Vision and then your mission.

Vision and mission are basic for strategy. With a clear cut vision and mission, you are on the path “To do more with less by Doing Things Right and Doing the Right Things”.

You can, if you apply the value for money principles.

Watch out for the next article.