In his book “The map of Consciousness explained”, David R. Hawkins states, “Does the original founding principle from which you are operating have universal appeal? Could everyone wholeheartedly subscribe if it were known to them? If not, the success is automatically limited from the start…”
We all know the words vision and mission. Almost every organisation has them, even though they are often used confusingly interchangeably.
The vision is about : what do we stand for? The mission: what do we do to realise the vision? Both are an amalgam of values, of desired behaviour, of intended results, of image and identity. A vision and mission reflect the role the organisation wants to play in the market and what it does to fulfil this role.
Missions and visions form the basis of an organisation’s identity and of the organisational culture that inspires employees and customers.
They actually define an organisation’s right to exist.
Visions and missions are very diverse
- “To make people happy” (Disney)
- “To create a better everyday life for as many people as possible” (Ikea).
- “To become a 125 dollar company by the year 2020” (Wal-Mart).
The wording of many visions and missions is often vague and encourages deeper questioning. A vision is often mistaken for a slogan on the window…
The foundation of a good vision and mission is not “making a profit” or “being better than the competition”. However, these are often the drivers of an organisation.
Making a profit: the values of our current economy
Whichever way you look at it, every organisation wants to make a profit.
If making profit is an end in itself, it only serves the organisation and its shareholders. In recent decades, growth and profit have been the drivers behind many organisations because the economy is based on these values. However, David R. Hawkins states:
” The fact that you should be the best in something or become rich and famous may appeal to you, but is it of interest to other people? No. If you have a service and attitude that helps others achievetheirgoals, then you have an enterprise withuniversal appeal.”
There is no judgement on making money, making profit or becoming famous. However: wherein is the growth for yourself, for your employees and your organisation? Wherein lies the benefit for your customers and the environment in which you operate?
Making money and becoming famous are a consequence of a universal intention. Not the intention itself.
Competition and rivalry
True success is characterised by grace, inner peace, empathy and paradoxically softness between competitors.
Compare it to an athlete who puts all his effort into the Olympics. Of course, this is all about competition. Every athlete wants to win. But what is winning about? About “I” want to win? Or about I want to win for my country? The first motive is guided by the low energy of selfishness. The second by the high energy of “love for his/her country”. Something others can relate to. Something that transcends winning.
True athletes who embody this higher intention grant victory to their opponents and honour them for adhering to the same intention as they themselves.
Their mission is successful when a compatriot wins, and not them. Their mission is successful when they have given their best for a higher cause, even if they are not on the podium.
A universal intention : the value of the new economy?
A universal intention is universal. This means that everyone, without exception of origin, culture, religion or perception, can subscribe to this intention. A universal intention is general-human and holds a high energy to which the organisation commits. The vision and mission are a concretisation of the intention. Intention, vision and mission form the identity and culture of the organisation.
Provided a universal intention can be endorsed by every person, it will bind employees as well as customers to the organisation.
Note : it’s not just about writing down nice words. More is needed than a nice slogan on a handsome poster. It’s about internalising the intention. Words are hollow if they are not translated into values and behaviour.
Integrity is the key word here. Walk the talk. Live the intention. Radiate them. As an organisation, as management, as employees. Make them tangible to customers and to the environment.
A universal intention is about
- Devotion to something greater than yourself: the team, your country, God…
- Making the world a better place for everyone. For example, about increasing safety, joy, beauty … in the lives of others
- Being able to move beyond personal gain: “we” are more important than “I”
Success is a consequence of that higher intention provided it is lived. Personal integrity is the basis for social integrity: living the intention by management and employees makes the organisation adhere to a higher purpose and establish it in the environment in which it operates.
