Beyond Lip Service: How can your organisation’s mission, vision, and values serve you ‘commercially’?

For many organisations, the importance of being a purpose-led organisation is no news. It is becoming increasingly clear that a business’ mission, vision and values actually matters. In fact, multiple studies suggest that more and more employees are looking beyond money and perks and shifting their focus onto the values of an organisation. But how can your MVV support you in practical terms? And where do you even start when it comes to transforming your MVV from an attractive ‘business slogan’ to daily practices and behaviors that truly mirror what you stand for? 

How your organisation’s MVV can serve  

How can three ‘statements’ possibly make a positive impact on your organisation? For starters, to truly benefit from the competitive advantage of having a mission, vision and values (MVV), these need to be more than just a list of ideals pasted on walls or shared sparingly. When woven into your workplace culture and embodied by your leadership, the benefits that your purpose and core values can bring to your business are multifold. 

Standing out from the rest 

Let’s face it, there are probably multiple businesses offering the same service or product as you. When you carve your own identity and nurture a unique workplace culture that truly reflects it, you set yourself apart from competitors.  

Besides, as you think about why your organisation does what it does (mission), where the organisation is heading (vision) and how the organisation does what it does (values), you create an authenticity that resonates with clients, partners, and employees who are on the same wavelength. This may not be something tangible, but the absence of it can always be felt. Operating is more challenging as there is no stand point or direction - whether it’s in your talent efforts or selling efforts - you are simply going with the flow of the market; like a ship with no direction being carried by the current.  

Boosting engagement and productivity 

Your employees are the heart and soul of your organisation, and when your organisation’s mission, vision, and values (MVV) is clear to them, your MVV serves as a guiding compass. Employees not only understand what's expected of them as an employee within your organisation, but they also get a better idea of how their work contributes to the bigger picture. And with a stronger sense of belonging, they are more likely to go the extra mile – consistently.   

Therefore, having an MVV gives all your employees (internal communications) an overarching narrative, just like articles written for the same newspaper with a consistent political angle. This encourages your audience to feel involved, serving as a solid anchor, keeping everyone aligned, especially during crises, rendering the organisation more resilient through everyone’s commitment to shared goals.  

Elevating brand reputation 

When employees and leaders embody an organisation's purpose and values, they are acting as brand ambassadors to the organisation, and product or services, enhancing the brand's reputation. This goes beyond marketing and branding efforts. It is all about building relationships rooted in shared values, genuine loyalty, and meaningful connections with clients, employees, and the broader community, laying a strong groundwork for lasting success. 

Once you have an understanding of why having an MVV is important, the next step is bringing it to life.  

So how can you integrate your MVV into your employer branding efforts? 

How do you make the leap from a one-dimensional MVV on paper to a three-dimensional MVV, where it can be clearly seen and felt in the daily practices and shared behaviours within the organisation? This shift requires deliberate, consistent effort across the board. Here are five actionable steps to bring your MVV to life in your employer branding efforts. 

1. Lead by example 

   In your leadership development programmes focus on 'training' behaviours that role-model your values as an organisation. This goes beyond leadership skills in traditional programmes.   

2. Use your social media narrative wisely 

   Focus on differentiating your organisation by sharing employee stories or activities that bring the purpose and values to life, rather than taking photos of activities that every other organisation is doing.   

3. Spark engagement with MVV-driven onboarding 

   Instead of reciting your MVV like a business slogan, create interactive exercises or workshops for new joiners to experience the values of your organisation from day one.   

4. Integrate your MVV into your performance management 

   Fuel performance with your core values. For a holistic approach to performance assessment, don’t only assess ‘how’ goals are achieved. Ensure the ‘why’ is also discussed and monitored in a way that aligns with your values. 

5. Stay on-message: repeat your purpose and values across all channels 

   From the career page on your website to your employee handbook, ESG strategy and practices, CEO updates and employee events, maximise every opportunity to reinforce who you are as an organisation and what is expected from your employees.   

In conclusion, shifting from words to action may take time.  Practices and behaviours need to be cultivated to evolve into habits.   But once your Mission, Vision and Values truly become a guiding compass to every decision, behaviour and action, your authentic approach becomes your greatest asset. It will not only help you to set yourself apart from competitors, but it will also enable a sense of belonging in your employees. Finally, your authenticity as an organisation will speak for itself when it comes to brand reputation. Rather than investing time in superficial branding efforts, you can dedicate your time and effort to meaningful work because your integrity as an organisation does all the hard work for you!