In an earlier post, I provided RiechesBaird’s viewpoint on the definition of Purpose, Vision, Mission, Values, Brand Positioning and how they all work together.

RiechesBaird is currently taking four organizations through the process of developing these statements.

Here are some insights into each of the statements, some examples and some thoughts on how to develop them.

It starts with PURPOSE.
A purpose statement answers – WHY do we exist?

Purpose is bigger and deeper than any business goal. When an organization has a clear purpose, it attracts talented personnel, strategic alliances, and loyal customers. I am finding that in many cases, the Purpose statement is the one that creates the deepest emotional connection with the audience.

Here are some examples that I like because they are simple, direct and inspiring.
•    To preserve and improve human life. –  Merck
•    To make people happy. –  Walt Disney
•    To solve unsolved problems innovatively. –  3M
•    To give unlimited opportunity to women. –  Mary Kay Cosmetics

Some guiding criteria when evaluating a compelling Purpose Statement
•    Non competitive – other organizations could have similar version
•    Statement could be relevant forever – might never be attainable
•    Creates a desire for collegial teamwork – bigger than the individual
•    So motivating that people are excited to get up in morning and charge the day
•    Speaks to the human SOUL

The last two thoughts are the ones that resonate most with me when evaluating how successful or memorable a Purpose Statement could be.

A method that I have found useful in developing Purpose
•    Start with a descriptive statement and then break it down to the core
•    Ask – Why is that important? Continue to ask until you find the true emotional connection
•    You might have to ask Why many times
•    Keep it simple and don’t try to put too much into it; you have other statements to complete the idea
•    Create multiple options to consider as you develop the corresponding statements

Questions to ask during the process
•    Why is it important for this organization to exist?
•    What would be lost if this organization ceased to exist?
•    Beyond money, why would anyone dedicate their precious time, energy and passion for this organization

Although this post only speaks to Purpose, please keep in mind that the statements must work together and build upon each other to offer the biggest idea. I like to start with a number of Purpose options, do the same for Vision and then start to tie them together.

A similar overview of Vision will be in my next post.

I welcome your feedback.

Tags: brand positioning, business goal, definition of purpose, descriptive statement, emotional connection, purpose statement, strategic alliances

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 14th, 2010 at 5:38 pm and is filed under Core Statements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.