Strategic business planning: Vision, mission and values

When setting out on their solo journey, some people undertake strategic business planning, while others set off blindly, with no clear direction. Many soloists take the more haphazard approach, and this results in what I call business misery.

Business misery is where your work takes over your life; where the returns from your business - the success, the money, the fulfilment - are minimal compared with what you are putting into it; where it negatively affects your health and your relationships, and where your life becomes totally out of balance.

So how do we undertake strategic business planning for our business? The answer is simple. All it requires is that we create for ourselves a clear Vision, Mission and set of Values.

Vision

This is the fun part! It's where you ask yourself: Where am I going? What am I going to do there? See yourself in five years – how does your business and your life look?

Allow yourself to dream, don’t censor it and don’t be embarrassed. And as you allow yourself to form a vision of your future you should feel a tangible surge of energy and excitement as you start to get the clarity you desire about your direction. It’s the same thrill you would have felt as a child before a fun day out, a trip to the beach or an exciting holiday.

Mission

This is the why to our business. It gives us the answer we need to keep us going when things are tough, or when we can't remember ‘’Why am I doing this?”

The answer, interestingly, has nothing to do with us and what we want for ourselves. It has to do with a sense of purpose - our personal mission - to be of service to others, of giving, or of making other people’s lives better, easier and more enjoyable. You may be here to inspire or guide others, or help them be their best.

Whatever your life purpose is, when you find it you will know it, unmistakeably, by how you feel inside. You may even be moved to tears – tears of joy, or tears of sadness for the years passed without knowing your mission.

Values

This is the GPS navigation system for our journey! Our values are what guide us every day in our business decisions. Whether that is our willingness to listen to our clients, our integrity or sense of fun, values are what are most important to us and what ultimately distinguish our business from the one down the road.

A big clue in identifying our values is to look at what we find most annoying when they are lacking in what we receive from others.

For example, poor customer service and lack of communication are what irritate me most. As a result, excellent customer service and clear communication are the most important values in my work.

Remembering that enables me to clearly define the actions I need to take to stay on track, which may be as simple as a quick phone call to a client to check they are happy with the way the work is progressing. This is ultimately where we find our fulfilment – giving of ourselves in a way that we truly value.

So, take a bit of time out for strategic business planning – it’s never too late to start, and easy enough to get back on track. Then at least you’ll know where you’re going, why you are going there and how to get there – and you’ll have a lot more fun along the way!

Peter Morgan is a Personal and Business Coach, Group Facilitator and Trainer who is dedicated to creating a life he loves and inspiring others to do so too!

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Hi Peter - I've always found that if I "do unto others as I would like them to do unto me" things work out well ! Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles
Hmm.
Good ideas, but I am far from sure that solving the problems are "simple."
You may have all the plans, visions, and great values, but life has a nasty habit of going in directions you neither wanted nor expected. Too much emphasis on "just work it all out in advance and you'll be fine" leads to insane attempts to control everything — and everyone — which leads to stress, anxiety and frustration.
Flexibility surely ought to be in there somewhere. As should accepting what you cannot change and making the best of it. But I surely agree with slowing down and taking time to think.
Carmine Coyote
www.slowleadership.org Carmine Coyote from Tucson, USA
Thanks for your comments! Grant...I couldn't agree with you more. That's totally what I'm talking about with regards to Values! And Carmine...sure, I completely agree with the need for flexibility. We cannot always control the timeframes and the actual route we take to get to our destination. Sometimes we hit obstacles or delays - like road works on the freeway! And when these delays or obstacles are major ones we then have a fantastic opportunity to reassess our Vision, Mission and Values and decide whether we are still going to continue towards the same destination, or head off in a totally new direction. The key though is that having a clear Vision, Mission and Values gives us clarity of direction, a sense of purpose and the means to fulfilment in our work and life at any point in time. Peter Morgan | Copiavita | www.copiavita.com from Byron Bay, NSW
THANKS, GREAT MESSAGE. My name's Rebecca and I'm 24 with two beautiful children, starting a business in advertising, with an Idea that no - one has come up with yet. It's not quite as easy as I dreamed it would be, but my excitement for that goal is what keeps me going, and the determination to be that somebody I always wanted to be. Not just famous with million$ or someone who one the lottery, but someone who made their own way, from nothing. I mean nothing too, as we are the poorest people in town I know. But I know in my heart that If I want it to work and I eat sleep and dream it, then It will work. I'm not scared or anxious and it's the only way to be. And I know, also beacause it was God himself that whispered the idea into my head. It's true, if you just listen he will answer your prayer, anything I pesonally guarantee it. But he wont give you a million dollars, just a way to make it yourself. Besides how boring would life be if you had it all at once! You'd have nothing left to try for and thats what were here for, to be the best we can be. Rebecca from Australia Qld.
Vision, mission and values are important.
But plans can get in the way of these as well as helping their implementation. Evan from Sydney, Australia
Hi Peter & all, interesting comments. I agree setting goals, planning & values are so important. Sometimes life does take a different direction than what we expect, but I think you still go back to those values & sometimes we need to improve or re-set our goals. I love where you work from Peter, Byron Bay, that's great to have a wonderful location & have a business from there, it's inspirational. It's the work family balance. If anyone has any ideas I am just changing my direction & wanting to work from home with 1 child & a bub due Sept. But I say, why can't I do some great things from home. I have achieved great things in sales & marketing in the corporate wolrd & keen to develop my skills further. I look forward to my new direction & will be doing some brain storming & new goals. Good luck to all. Karen from Sydney

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