Now that you’ve written your mission and vision statements, it’s time to put them into action. Unfortunately, this is where most companies fall flat. They may plan a roll-out event or introduce them to their clients (which are important steps). However, their relationship with both mission and vision often end here. But, this should just be the beginning. Mission and vision statements work best when you use them to inform the way you do business. 

Vision and mission statements are often big ideas, so finding ways to put them into action can seem overwhelming. Here are a few ideas:

• Make sure your strategic goals align with both your mission and vision statements. If they don’t, it’s time to rework them.
• Take a look at all of your marketing collateral and online outlets, including social media. Are you portraying the image you want? Does your content showcase your vision for the company? For example, if you want to be the leading expert on sustainability, share photos, stats, articles that support your claim.
• Review your list of current clients. How many of them relate to your mission? Are you securing projects that are helping you move towards your vision? If not, consider methods to bring in new work strategically.
• Check in with current employees. Do they know your mission and vision statements? Can they at least paraphrase them? If not, look for ways to integrate both into your daily, weekly or monthly activities. For example, if your vision is to “Help Small Businesses Grow,” add a short section to your companywide meeting in which employees can volunteer stories of growth.
• When selecting new hires, look for qualities that align with your organization’s identity.
• Any proposal responses should showcase your mission statement. It lets prospects know what differentiates your firm from another and how you will approach the project. Do more than copy the text onto your profile page. Instead, weave language and ideas from it throughout. Use call-outs and how you characterize projects to illustrate your company’s “why.”