Purpose, vision and guiding principles:
What do we stand for, where do we want to go and what guides us?
Once these questions are answered together, strategic options can be better categorized, priorities can be more transparently justified, and different areas can be aligned around a common point of reference.
Not every organization needs a new purpose or mission statement for this. Perhaps a shared vision of the future is lacking. Perhaps existing statements no longer reflect the current organization. Or perhaps they remain valid but play little role in important strategic decisions.
We support you in answering these questions. We bring together relevant perspectives, examine what is already working, and develop further where clarification is truly needed.
Not every mission statement needs to be rewritten.
In a non-binding consultation, we will look with you at your current situation and at which questions surrounding purpose, vision or guiding principles are currently most important.
Three terms, three different questions
Purpose, vision, and guiding principles are often used interchangeably or conflated. For practical purposes, it is crucial to identify which guiding question is being addressed.
Purpose
WHAT CONTRIBUTION DO WE WANT TO MAKE?
Purpose describes an organization’s fundamental contribution and thus why its work is important to customers, society, or other relevant stakeholders.
A helpful question can be:
WHAT WOULD BE MISSING IF THIS ORGANIZATION DIDN’T EXIST?
A purpose shouldn’t sound as grand as possible. It becomes valuable when it is specific enough to play a role in genuine decision-making.
vision
WHAT FUTURE DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE OR SHAPE?
A vision directs our gaze forward. It describes a desired state and makes a development imaginable.
In doing so, it provides orientation for strategic options: Will a decision bring us to the
Is it closer to the desired future vision or not?
However, a vision does not replace a decision about which path the organization wants to take to get there.
Guiding principles
WHAT SHOULD GUIDE US TOGETHER?
A mission statement combines key statements about an organization’s self-understanding and direction.
Depending on the needs, it can incorporate purpose, vision, values, or other guiding principles. A fixed standard format is less important than determining which statements the organization actually needs.
It's not always necessary to create something new.
The starting point determines the process. Therefore, we distinguish between three situations.
Situation 1: A common orientation is lacking
Within the organization, differing ideas exist about its purpose and future direction. A shared frame of reference is lacking.
We bring together relevant internal and external perspectives, identify commonalities and differences, and distill them into initial statements.
The goal is not to quickly reach consensus on individual words. First, it must be clarified what should truly be shared and where differing perspectives persist.
Situation 2: The existing framework is no longer suitable.
The business, market, ownership structure, or strategic ambitions have changed. However, the purpose, vision, or mission statement originate from a different phase of the organization.
In such cases, we don’t automatically start with a blank slate.
We examine which statements remain valid, where new contradictions have arisen, and which questions now require different answers . This allows us to preserve what already exists without obscuring the changes.
Situation 3: The statements are still true, but hardly play a role.
A purpose or mission statement may still be valid in content but provide little guidance in daily work.
In such cases, simply rewording it often helps little.
We examine where the connection to strategy and concrete decisions has been lost. Only then do we decide whether the content needs to be changed or whether the existing framework should be made relevant again.
An existing purpose doesn’t need to be reformulated just because it’s not very prominent. First, we should determine whether the content is still valid or whether the primary issue is the lack of connection to strategy and decision-making.
From orientation to strategic decision
A shared framework of orientation does not, in itself, create a finished strategy.
Strategy development brings together additional information about the market, customers, competitors, technological developments, and the capabilities of the organization itself. This results in options that are weighed against each other and prioritized.
Purpose, vision, and mission statement can provide criteria for this evaluation. This keeps the boundary clear:
Purpose, vision, and mission statement provide a frame of reference. Strategy determines the direction and priorities under specific conditions.
Good orientation is not demonstrated by the wording alone.
Purpose, vision, and guiding principles are often judged based on individual sentences. However, their true quality lies in what these statements differentiate, clarify, and enable in concrete situations.
Interchangeable statements offer little guidance.
“Shaping the future,” “connecting people,” or “achieving sustainable success” can apply to many organizations.
Such phrases aren’t necessarily wrong. However, they are of little help if it remains unclear what they mean for that specific organization.
Therefore, we work with its history, its capabilities, stakeholders, ambitions, and strategic areas of tension.
A simple test is: What meaning would be lost if the company name were removed from the statement?
The less meaning is lost, the more likely the phrase is too general.
Participation provides substance, but not yet a good formulation.
People from different parts of an organization have different perspectives on what shapes them, what expectations exist, and what kind of development seems credible.
These perspectives are important. Nevertheless, a good purpose isn’t created by agreeing on every single word.
Therefore, we distinguish between contributing experiences, interpreting together, addressing differences, and finally consolidating the message.
Participation improves the foundation. However, responsibility for a clear statement must still be clearly defined.
Differences are often more revealing than quick consensus.
If everyone immediately agrees on terms like “trust,” “innovation,” or “customer proximity,” little has been gained.
Things get interesting when people associate different meanings with these terms.
What does customer proximity actually mean? How is trust demonstrated? What form of innovation is truly relevant?
Such distinctions help to refine general concepts and make unspoken tensions visible early on.
Purpose and vision must not replace strategy.
Purpose and vision can provide a framework within which strategic options are evaluated.
However, they do not answer which markets should be prioritized, which services should be expanded, or which resources should be deployed.
These decisions require additional information and considerations.
Purpose and vision can guide strategic decisions; they do not replace the strategic decision itself.
If the strategic options themselves need to be developed and prioritized, the work leads to strategy development .
A guiding principle does not become effective through communication alone;
A publication, a town hall meeting, or an internal campaign can publicize new statements.
Whether they provide guidance, however, is determined later: Are they applied to specific questions? Can leaders draw conclusions from them? Does it become apparent when decisions contradict the stated goal?
If the problem primarily lies in the discrepancy between cultural expectations and actual behavior , the next step is cultural development.
aspiration and reality do not have to be identical.
A vision deliberately describes something that has not yet been achieved. A mission statement can also formulate a future aspiration.
The gap between this vision and current reality is therefore not automatically problematic.
What is crucial is whether this gap is visible and open to discussion.
If, for example, an organization demands individual responsibility but consistently centralizes important decisions, the desired message alone is insufficient. In such cases, it must be clarified what changes are actually necessary.
Strategy topics at a glance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a corporate purpose?
Corporate purpose describes an organization’s fundamental contribution and answers the question of why its work is relevant.
It is more long-term oriented than concrete strategic goals and can provide a framework for strategic decisions.
What is a company vision?
A company vision describes a desired future state.
It makes a desired development imaginable and can help to assess strategic options based on whether they contribute to the long-term direction of the organization.
What is a company mission statement?
A mission statement summarizes key statements about an organization’s self-image and direction.
Depending on the company, it might include, for example, purpose, vision, values, or guiding principles. Therefore, it’s essential to first clarify the function the mission statement is intended to fulfill.
What is the difference between purpose, vision, and mission statement?
Purpose describes an organization’s fundamental contribution.
Vision describes a desired future state.
Mission statement refers to an overarching framework in which these and other statements can be integrated.
These terms are used differently within companies. Therefore, it is crucial to clearly define their respective functions within the specific context.
Does every company need a purpose?
No. Not every organization needs its own purpose project.
What matters is whether there is sufficient clarity about the relevant contribution the organization wants to make and whether this question even needs to be answered for current strategic decisions.
Sometimes the real challenge lies with the vision, strategy, or an existing mission statement.
Does an existing purpose need to be regularly redefined?
No.
If an existing purpose is not very prominent, the first step should be to examine whether its content is still accurate. If so, the challenge may lie in reconnecting it with strategy and concrete decisions.
A new formulation only makes sense if the organization’s self-image or relevant contribution has actually changed.
When should a mission statement be reviewed?
A review can be useful when the business, market position, or ownership structure has changed significantly, organizations are being merged, or the existing framework no longer provides sufficient guidance for important decisions.
Reviewing does not automatically mean rewriting everything.
How much participation is needed for the development?
Relevant perspectives should be included where they contribute important experience or knowledge.
At the same time, the process needs clarity regarding who provides input, who is involved in the consolidation of information, and who ultimately bears responsibility for the result.
How do purpose and vision become effective?
Their relevance is primarily demonstrated in concrete decisions.
Are strategic options related to the formulated contribution and the desired future vision? Can the consequences be explained? Do any contradictions become apparent?
Awareness alone does not guarantee impact.
What is the difference between purpose and strategy?
A purpose can therefore provide guidance for strategy, but it cannot replace it.
Strategy, under specific conditions, determines which options are pursued, which priorities are set, and which alternatives are not pursued.
A purpose can therefore guide strategy, but not replace it.
What is the difference between a mission statement and culture?
A mission statement describes a desired framework for orientation.
Organizational culture, on the other hand, manifests itself in actually effective expectations, routines, and behavioral patterns.
A gap can exist between the two. If precisely this gap is to be addressed, cultural development is the appropriate next area of focus.