Crafting Mission, Vision, and Values from Scratch

Case Study: Building a Foundation for a Company's Growth

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Karlee Dragos
Organizational Psychology Consultant, Posted on Dec 04, 2024

Building a strong foundation for any business begins with defining its mission, vision, and values. These guiding principles provide clarity, align teams, and communicate a company’s identity both internally and externally. Without them, organizations often struggle to foster a cohesive culture or establish a clear direction for growth. This was the challenge faced by a brewery we partnered with, as they sought to articulate their aspirations and core values to unite their team and solidify their identity within the community.

Challenge: 

We partnered with a brewery that lacked a defined mission, vision, and values, fundamental elements essential for aligning their team and communicating their identity to the community. Without these guiding principles, the brewery faced challenges in establishing a clear direction for growth and fostering a cohesive workplace culture. The founders recognized the need to articulate their aspirations and values to create a strong foundation for the company's future.

Our Approach:

To develop meaningful mission, vision, and values statements, we employed a collaborative, data-driven process that engaged both employees and the founders. Our approach included the following key steps:

1. Employee Survey Development:

We designed a comprehensive survey to gather insights directly from employees, focusing on their perspectives and experiences. Questions included:

  • For the mission: “What distinguishes Company X from other breweries?” and “How would you like Company X to be perceived by employees, customers, and the community?”
  • For the vision: “What aspirations do you have for the growth and innovation of Company X?”
  • For values: “Can you recall any specific instances where you felt proud to be part of Company X? What behaviours were demonstrated in those moments?” and “How would you describe the ideal employee at Company X? What qualities or behaviors do they embody?”

2. Identifying Themes:

We analyzed the survey responses to identify recurring themes. These themes provided a rich understanding of what employees valued, how they viewed the company’s unique strengths, and their aspirations for the future.

3. Collaborative Discussion with Founders:

Using the identified themes, we facilitated a session with the founders to explore their perspectives. This discussion allowed us to align employee insights with the founders' vision and refine the overarching themes into cohesive guiding principles.

4. Drafting Mission, Vision, and Values Statements:

Based on the data and discussions, we drafted statements for the brewery's mission, vision, and values. These drafts aimed to reflect the collective input of the team while capturing the essence of the company’s identity and aspirations.

Result:

The collaborative process resulted in mission, vision, and values statements that were deeply meaningful and reflective of both the team’s and founders' perspectives. The final statements successfully captured the brewery's unique character and aspirations, serving as a powerful foundation for growth, innovation, and cultural alignment. Employees felt heard and appreciated, fostering a stronger sense of connection and pride in their workplace.

This case study illustrates how starting from scratch with thoughtful collaboration and input can lead to the creation of guiding principles that inspire and empower a company and its team.



Karlee Dragos is an Organizational Psychology Consultant who is passionate about optimizing employee engagement to allow organizations to reach their full potential. She has experience in research, data analysis, and training design. She uses her knowledge of psychological principles and research methods to improve the overall work environment through communication, process evaluation, and leadership development. Karlee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria. She is currently completing a Master of Arts degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Adler University, where her research focuses on the relationship between workplace ostracism and counterproductive work behaviour.