When starting a business and sometimes when it is perceived that the very small business created with so much effort has the potential to grow, it is essential to start thinking strategically.
But what does it mean to think strategically? There is a little story in management books that reflects that subtle difference between everyday tasks and working knowing what the end is.
“A man was passing by a construction site and noticed that there were three workers doing, apparently the same task. But it caught his attention that while the first seemed overwhelmed by work, the second was apparently happier, the third looked more than enthusiastic and even sang while he worked. Curious he approached the first man and asked him what he was doing, this man, sullenly replied: Don't you see it? I am laying bricks! When he asked the second the same question, he replied very cordially: I am building a wall. He approached the third, interrupted his singing and asked him, What are you doing? the answer was: The most important task of my life, building the cathedral of my town. "
That is the first step of any business: knowing which is our Cathedral.
That is the Mission for which everything we do makes sense, it is the dream that makes all sacrifice seem little, it is the driving force behind it.
How we found the Mission
Many companies are the result of the founder's dream, who, often unconsciously, is the one who has a perfect idea of where he wants to go, what he wants to transform his creation into.
Other times companies grow as connoisseurs of how to offer a product or service, or by copying a successful business model and base their growth on optimizing that element.
These types of companies are those that are burdened by day to day, continually solving problems, and waiting for the next one. They do not have a clear and definite idea of where they are going.
The Mission of an organization defines exactly what the path is, what are the day-to-day decisions, the immovable goal, the beacon that guides us along the chosen route.
In the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" S. Covey suggests an exercise to define personal goals that is very clear and mobilizing, which I think can help us in the subject we are dealing with and it goes more or less like this:
“Close your eyes and imagine that you are going to a funeral, imagine that to dismiss the body, a group of people are going to say a few words defining the personality of the deceased. As you get closer you see that who is in the coffin is yourself. After the first impression, imagine each of the speeches. What would you like to be said about you, when you are gone, each of those people, your children, your wife, your neighbors, your boss, your employees, your parents. "
In each of these speeches you have defined your goals, your Mission, your actions each day.
A similar mechanism can be used to find and define the Mission of an organization.
We must define:
- How we want our suppliers to see us How we want our customers to perceive us How we want our employees to feel How we want our competitors to see us Where we want to be in five years How we will be in ten years Who will run the company at each stage Where we are going to stand out How we separate company and family
As each organization is a unique entity, each one must consider its own statements to define.
This discussion should take place among the managers of the company.
From the development of these statements, what values will govern, what culture should be implemented, what structure will be needed, what organizational system to implement will emerge.
All these processes lead to the definition of the Mission of the organization.
This must be stated, written and known by all those involved in any way with the company.
Employees, to know how to act on a day-to-day basis; suppliers, to know what securities they are trading with; the clients, to know what to expect from the company and the community, to know what contribution they receive.
It is a form of commitment to everyone and to ourselves, those are the principles that determine each decision.
Some examples
With the companies that I had to help, we always start with the definition of the Mission, many times the owners unconsciously know which path and even where they want to go, they have that dream that drives them but, due to itching or disbelief, they do not know how to transmit it to the Those around them are afraid of appearing dreamy or unrealistic.
Other times they have no idea, the main objective is to make money, and they are companies that spend all their time with short-term decisions, solving problems instead of anticipating them, without understanding that making money is a consequence of a certain way of acting.
One of the companies defined as Mission:
“We will be a leading company in the manufacture and supply of bazaar products. Standing out in customer service and product innovation "
Each phrase is a serious commitment and obligates the entire organization. Being a leader implies leading behavior in terms of deliveries, quality and prices.
This motivated all the workers of the company, even some commented: if we are going to be leaders we are going to have to change several things.
The sales department, exercised by one of the owners, changed the way of dealing with customers and began to control more closely the salespeople, even the need for training to be able to stand out in customer service arose.
The other owner understood the commitment to excel in product innovation and changed the structure of production, adding a factory manager and leaving more time for product development.
It could also have raised to be leaders in prices, in that way the general policy should have been different. Focus more on purchasing, reducing costs, optimizing production batches, etc.
Another company, purely family, constituted by a married couple and their only son, concerned about the time they were dedicating to the company, subtracting it from the family, stated:
“We will be a medium-sized company that will make continued moderate growth its way of life. Without financially compromising the assets achieved ”.
In this way, the anguish of certain decisions, type of investments, number of clients, types of work to be done, time dedicated to the company were removed.
They defined a work structure, they took the number of people that they lacked, the owners are dedicated to getting clients of the size they need and to keep the existing ones, controlling that the sales figures rise gradually year after year.
It should be clarified that the type of industry, the market they serve and the country's situation allow this type of decision. In other circumstances it is very difficult to consider this Mission.
Finally the Mission of the company that I preside:
“In …………… we know that family businesses - SMEs generate 80% of the jobs in our country. We also know that statistically only 70% of them exceed the third year of life and 3% reach the third generation. This is due to the lack of business training, clear strategies and a type of management that should be adapted to each stage of growth of the company. Also, commonly, the mixture of family affections and professional needs of the organization, becomes a drag on growth. We are convinced that there is only one solution for the survival of these companies: The Professionalization of it. Therefore, we propose to help Family SMEs to carry out this transformation and, in this way,to help the continuity of the growth of the sources of work and to achieve a harmony between the company and the family. We are moved by the conviction that we will be helping all of society ”.
This commits us to being excellent professionals, continually updated.
It does not matter if the definition of the mission is a single sentence or a page, what is important is what it means for each one within the organization, it is the commitment that it implies.
Some would prefer to define as a Mission to build a chapel, I personally prefer a great cathedral capable of changing, even a little, the world in which we live.
What is essential is to have a Mission, a cathedral that guides us.
"If you don't know where you are going, any path is good."
