In a previous article, I shared five questions that today’s forward-thinking companies should be asking, based on input from top business consultants. This second installment, on the same theme, presents five more questions--but with a specific focus this time. These are questions that zero in on the mission and higher purpose of a company. Think of them as “mission questions.”
Most companies, of course, articulate their missions by way of formal “statements.” But often they’re banal pronouncements (We save people money so they can live better. --WalMart) or debatable assertions (Yahoo! is the premier digital media company) that don’t offer much help in trying to gauge whether a company is actually living up to a larger goal or purpose.
"These are questions that zero in on the higher purpose of a company."
1. Why are we here in the first place?
2. What does the world need most that we are uniquely able to provide?
3. What are we willing to sacrifice?
4. What matters more than money?
5. Are we all on this mission together?