Mission, Vision And Values ​​of A Company: What They Are, And Examples

Like people, companies also have an idiosyncrasy that differentiates them from the rest, giving them very specific characteristics that make consumers perceive them in a certain way.

An important part of this business identity is given by its mission, vision and values Let’s discover what each of these concepts consists of.

What do we understand by the mission, vision and values ​​of a company?

These three elements will be the ones that will mark the corporation’s roadmap in its projects and decision-making for the future, but each of them has its peculiarities, which we will explore below.

Mission

The first element we encounter is the mission. This is the main idea by which the organization works, its reason for being It would be the ultimate objective of the company, what it is heading towards little by little with each small decision that is made and each objective achieved. It is the long-term goal of the company. You could say that it acts like a compass, always marking a direction to look towards.

But this does not mean that the mission is static and untouchable, far from it. It is common for reviews and updates to be carried out, because the company acts as a changing organism that evolves and adapts to the environment in which it is located, which is also not static.

The mission cannot be reduced to absurdity and placed solely in the economic perspective of “being profitable”, or “generating a certain amount of money” which, evidently, would enter into the plans of any company that is not a non-profit organization. It is about establishing the idea for which the company has been created.

Vision

If the mission is the long-term idea of ​​the company, we could say that the vision would be that idea but in the medium term. Is about the specific situation we want for our company within certain years and therefore each job and each project must be aimed at achieving that specific position.

The question we must ask ourselves when setting out the vision of the corporation is where we want to be in X years, and also, what purposes we want to fulfill. It must be an approach that inspires and motivates all employees , who will row together in the same direction, like the team they are, to achieve the proposed forecast. And, since the vision is for everyone, it must be presented in a simple and clear way, so that all workers, regardless of their position and training, understand it.

Although a differentiation is generally established between mission and vision, since they are independent concepts, there is a certain tendency in companies in some northern European countries to synthesize them into a single concept, so it is not strange that we find it unified if we look for information regarding some brand from said territories.

Obviously the vision must be an achievable and reasonable objective within the capabilities of the company itself and once its future growth prospects are taken into account. It would not be reasonable for a small neighborhood shoe store to set out to be the world’s largest exporter of shoes within 5 years. You have to be aware of your own strengths but also your weaknesses

On the other hand, the vision should not be to maintain ourselves in the same position we are in, unless the specific circumstances of the environment make us anticipate a serious economic crisis, a scenario in which maintaining our sales at the level of other years would already be a magnificent achievement. But removing those types of situations that, fortunately, are not abundant, the vision must also be an incentive to achieve growth, improvement and, ultimately, a better position in the future.

A reasonable vision in the example of the small shoe store could be to become the reference store in the neighborhood, manage to grow enough to be able to open another establishment and start a chain, or even achieve a certain market share not only locally but in other parts of the country thanks to digital marketing and online sales through the network.

Values

We reach the third point within the roadmap of the spirit of the company In this case we refer to values. They would be the general guidelines for action of our company.

They are generally between five and seven, and they would be a kind of sacred laws to take into account in every action that we carry out within the company. They would be our particular rules of the game. They could even be seen as the entity’s own personality. They have an important ethical component and in that sense they will mark the red lines of corporate actions, always making clear what the limits will be that must not be exceeded under any circumstances.

Of course, these values ​​will be for everyone. Any member of the corporation must take this list into account when carrying out their day-to-day tasks, regardless of their position in the business organization chart.

Values ​​can be of different types, depending on their purpose We can observe, therefore, the following modalities.

1. Work dynamics value

will mark the appropriate guideline to carry out the tasks inherent to production or the performance of the service in the manner required by the organization, achieving the best possible result. We must always look for the most efficient methods and at the same time set ourselves the goal of achieving excellence in our product.

2. Development value

It refers to how workers should act to achieve a better product or service to offer to customers each time One of the clearest would be that which seeks innovation, so that we always have a cutting-edge product, which is more attractive than that of competitors.

3. Social value

Refers to the responsibility that the corporation has regarding the environment and society itself during its operation And we all know the power that a large corporation can have, and therefore it must have an accompanying responsibility. In other words, they must be an example for society.

4. Customer Service Value

They are those designed to offer the consumer a unique experience that is remembered and achieves loyalty so that you become a recurring customer of our company.

Features

Once we have obtained an overview of the three elements, we are going to review some general functions that all of them fulfill in the normal operation of the corporation.

Communication

The mission, vision and values ​​of a company have an important function, and that is to communicate and inform, both to employees themselves and to clients, suppliers, partners, and other groups of all these guidelines and objectives that govern the work of this company.

It is very useful for a new addition to the company to have access to the company’s philosophy and have a quick and satisfactory adaptation. It also helps other companies to know in a certain way the strategies of their competitors and thus be able to act accordingly, establishing similar measures or distancing themselves from others in order to make a difference and become more attractive. This process can feed back to the initial company, generating mutual enrichment.

Strategy

Nor can we ignore the clear strategic function that the mission, vision and values ​​acquire. And it has become clear that all these elements make up the main lines of action, both in the present and in the future, and therefore will be defining when establishing strategies

Practical example of mission, vision and values ​​of a company

As always, it is easier to understand new concepts when we have real examples, We are going to review everything stated in the article taking as reference a well-known company both in Spain and internationally , in this case we are referring to the oil company Repsol. All information is accessible and public from its own website.

Mission example

In this case the objective is clear and concise. Repsol’s mission is to be a company that provides energy to consumers but always does so while maintaining a commitment to sustainability in its insertion into the planet.

This will, therefore, be the key that will guide any small action and project carried out in the organization.

Vision example

The direction set for the future is to be a company that provides energy globally , in an innovative way, respectful of people and nature and at the same time efficient in its procedures. We will seek to generate value and always do so in a way that guarantees sustainability, ultimately ensuring that the society in which said company is located progresses.

Examples of values

Regarding the guides for day-to-day action, Repsol has four clearly differentiated ones, which are the following.

1. Anticipate challenges

A leading company like this You must foresee all the scenarios and thus be able to face possible threats but at the same time take advantage of the opportunities that may arise.

2. Be efficient

As an energy company, at Repsol They know better than anyone how important it is to take advantage of each resource and give it the maximum possible use This must be applied at all levels during production.

3. Always respectful

Respect must guide every act at Repsol, both in the work environment, creating an inclusive climate, where all employees trust each other as in relation to consumers and society itself.

4. Create value

As a reference company, this company and All those who make it up must be a value in themselves, and must be aware of the importance they have and the service they provide to society through their work.