Purpose, vision, mission, values and behaviours
Purpose, vision, mission, values and behaviours are all very different - and important - pillars of organisational culture. If you want cohesion, collaboration and a ‘one-team’ culture, then it’s important that you not only get these elements right, but also ensure that they are ‘used’ in the right way.
Training middle managers is the key to a successful culture, so it’s important that they understand this too, as they inform how teams are set up to succeed.
Here is a simple table to explain each - click here if you prefer a downloadable .pdf:
Too often, organisations use these words interchangeably (‘We’re on a mission!’, ‘Our behaviours inform our purpose’) or else their use is purely performative. Both of which serve only to confuse or annoy employees.
In reality, not only are they all essential pillars of the way we work but Millennial and Gen Z employees in particular are actively monitoring whether these elements are practised or not, and choosing to walk away from their jobs if they’re not.
You don’t need to have all of these in play at once (vision and values are the most important from an organisation perspective), but if you do, you need to ensure that they are lived and used day-to-day. Not only will this send a message that you take your culture seriously, but you’ll also generate greater value, loyalty and commitment too.
When you get culture right, everyone wins.
