How Structurally Sound Is Your Organization’s Foundation?

The Wise Builder (Matthew 7:24-25)

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. By doing so, the house did not fall when the storms came because it had its foundation on the rock (here Jesus is the believer’s rock-solid foundation).

I love watching HGTV’s Fixer Upper, Property Brothers, and Love It or List It. The after reveals are absolutely amazing!

They all build upon a strong foundation. The house needs to be structurally sound before any kind of renovating can truly happen. Whether it’s revealed during “demo day” or after, what’s hidden, if not dealt with correctly, will cause all sorts of problems in the future, even the possibility of the house crashing down. Certainly, we’d be shocked to watch a contractor forgo adding a support beam for the sake of having an open concept space. What would look great from the reveal would prove to be disastrous in the end. Small problem meet big problem.

How often do you as a leader, as an executive team, move forward in tweaking strategy and tactics, adding products or services, and not refer or put into practice the elements of a strong foundation?

The elements of an organization’s strong foundation are mission, vision, and core values (MVV). The foolish man builds his house on sand that cannot withstand the storms of life. If you do not want your organization to collapse, take some time after reading this article to review your MVV.

Otherwise, how will you know your purpose? How will you know what you are striving to achieve? How will you vet your decisions? Clarity and distinctiveness are the cement for your organization’s strong foundation.

Here are the necessary characteristics of each foundational element:

Mission. Why your organization exists. Your purpose. It is unchanging and ongoing. The words may tweak over the years, but the core purpose remains the same. Mission is so much more than the products and services you offer. For example, I love WD-40’s mission statement: We exist to create positive lasting memories in everything we do. Notice, how that mission captures the hearts and minds of employees in being part of something larger than themselves and making a positive difference in the lives of others. A strong mission is succinct and to the point.

Vision. What your organization has decided to achieve in the long-term. Typically, within 10 years. This is often coined as a BHAG, a big hairy audacious goal. Identifying the BHAG, is first a creative process and put into words (narrative) utilizing all the senses. Painting a picture captures the hearts and minds of employees to invest their time, talents, and effort into achieving that goal because they have been able to experience what the future looks like. Vision is also what separates organizations from “red waters” (focused on battling the competition) and “blue waters” (separating themselves from the competition) as described in the book, Blue Ocean Strategy. The best organizations seek continual renewal to thrive in open waters versus trying to merely survive in bloody waters.

Core Values. Not all values are core values. Core values are the most important values present in your organization that guide everything you do and won’t do. If I were to visit your organization, would I be able to name what they are based on my observations? Your core values should also set you apart and communicate your uniqueness. Often, you will see organizations further elaborate and define their core values in 2-4 sentences.

Patrick Lencioni distinguishes core values from other values in the July 2002 Harvard Business Review article, “Make Your Values Mean Something” (p. 6).

Aspirational: Those the company needs to succeed in the future, but currently lacks.

Permission to Play: Simply reflect the minimum behavioral and social standards required of any employee (i.e., integrity).

Accidental:  Arise spontaneously without being cultivated by leadership and take hold over time. They usually reflect the common interests or personalities of the organization’s employees. These could be beneficial if they lead to inclusivity or detrimental if they foreclose new opportunities.

Here are 3 questions for a deeper MVV review:

1.     Is your organization in alignment? What evidence do you have that supports alignment?

2.     Do you have the right people in your organization where your core values are an extension of their own?

Better to hire according to your MVV for alignment and retention. Harder to have “buy in” otherwise. Not only do they need to be a good fit, but they also need to have the competencies to fulfill the role and responsibilities you need to thrive as an organization. At the same time, MVV sets the foundation for your organization to create support and resources for your employees to thrive.

3.     Do the people in your organization truly desire to establish roots? Or are they easily attracted to invest their time, gifts, and talents elsewhere?

If you are consistently experiencing turnover, do an organizational health check-up.

Need more help? No fear. Here’s how I can be of help.

First, I invite you to review and critique my MVV. What stands out the most to you?

Here’s the link: https://www.innovative-leadership-solutions.com/who-we-are

Second, schedule a complimentary 30 minute consulting call with me to review your MVV.

Click on this link to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/naomi-ils/30min?month=2021-10

As a coach and consultant, I have reviewed and guided clients in this process. One visionary client, who was recently promoted to CEO, reviewed the organization’s MVV for the first time in 30 years. Over the years the purpose of the organization had not changed, but services expanded over time to include more stakeholders. Therefore, the mission didn’t fully encapsulate the organization’s purpose. While the core intent of the vision statement was good, it was also ambiguous. It would have been hard to know if the organization had achieved such a goal. Rather, the core intent spoke more to the mission of the organization. The core values did stand the test of time. They were still embraced and lived out by all in the organization. The refining step was to write a few sentences defining the meaning of each core value.

The end result? A strong foundation which this organization continues to build on today!

The world needs you and your uniqueness to make a positive impact in the world. Establishing a strong foundation will surely increase your chances of success with quality products or services that are unique and where there’s a demand in the marketplace. Then, you can add-on or renovate through continual renewal.