Losing Focus and Clarity of Vision

Rick Maurer, President of Maurer and Associates and bestselling business book author loves the comic strip “Frank and Ernest.” On April 30, 2009, a man is pictured attaching an additional sign to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms that reads “…and TransFats.” Frank or Ernest (hard to tell who is who) says, “I worry that we’re losing our focus.”

Many vision and mission statements are just a hodge-podge of well-meaning phrases. They may start out fine and seem clearly focused, but soon barnacles begin to attach to the hull. Before long, it will be hard to tell where the ship was heading in the first place.

Keep in mind the basic structure – the outline – of the business mission while crafting a mission statement. Just like constructing a ship or a building, the framework is laid first. Then, information and additional thoughts that complete and fill out each portion of the mission statement are presented in more detail, without losing direction.

A clearly-stated, focused mission statement is a very important business tool and, oftentimes, gives a first impression of a company – whether the customer is internal (employees) or external in nature. Wandering from the basic, concise thoughts only creates confusion and, ultimately, results in the company’s vision losing focus and meeting objectives becomes nearly impossible.

The real work of conducting business cannot and will not happen unless there is buy-in from both employees and customers. A well written mission statement is a way to connect and resonate positively what the vision of the company is, and how it plans to reach the established objectives. Though sometimes overlooked, the clearly-stated vision of a business is extremely important and plays a vital role in the continued success and longevity of a company.