This document discusses the importance of defining an organization's mission, vision, and values. It provides guidance on conducting a process to identify these key aspects of culture. This involves looking outward at admired companies, looking back at company history, looking around at staff feedback, and looking ahead to future goals. The example process resulted in a vision of building the best feedback platform to power smart decisions and values of security, quality, creativity, and service. It recommends socializing and living these cultural tenets going forward.

1. The Quest For Culture
Mission, Vision, and
Values
by Roy E. Disney
“It’s not hard to make decisions once
you know what your values are.”

2. Defining an
organization’s
mission, vision, and
values is more vital
than you might
think.

3. Done right, this process
requires planning, feedback,
and revision to ensure the
right fit.

4. Ask these framing questions:
₪ Who are we?
₪ Who do we want to be?
₪ Where do we want to go next?

5. As Lewis Carroll reminds us:
“If you don’t know where
you’re going, any road will
get you there.”
Still, we wonder and we
wander.

6. Does It Matter?

7. Before we review the rest of
the process, a few quick
notes on values, vision, and
mission.

8. Values
Real values are beliefs regularly
demonstrated in practice, guiding
the way an organization treats its
stakeholders, both internal and
external.

9. Mission
Fundamentally, a mission
statement clearly identifies an
organization’s reason for
existence and its main goal.

10. Vision
This statement boldly announces
the projected result and impact of
the organization’s mission being
achieved.

11. Simply knowing and sharing
these common aims can
have a significant impact on
decisions, strategy, and
growth.

12. Our Process:
Look

13. Look Out
Investigate the companies that
you admire. What values do they
identify?

14. Look Back
Ask those who’ve been around
the longest, including your CEO.

15. Look Around
Review these interviews, findings,
and brainstorms and combine
solid lists of possibilities in each
category.

16. Look Within
Carry out an internal employee
feedback survey (surprise!) to
understand the diverse
perspectives of the entire team.

17. Look Ahead
With the results accumulated,
unveil all the data and make
decisions about how to move
forward. Hooray!

18. Our Results

19. THE VISION
Building the world’s best
feedback platform to
power the world’s
smartest decisions.

20. THE VALUES
1. Security
2. Quality
3. Creativity
4. Service

21. Now What?

22. 1. Build values into
onboarding.
2. Roll them out on the
website and other
internal/external
marketing.
3. Continue to focus on
living these values and
achieving this vision.
4. Celebrate successes to
reinforce growth.

23. What did you find in
your own company
culture survey?

24. Read the full blog, then share your thoughts! Mission, Vision, and Values: The Quest For Culture

25. SoGoSurvey.com
@SoGoSurvey