Vision, Mission, Values

Having a clear understanding of your business's vision, mission, and values is essential for success. These three foundational ingredients form the cornerstone of a strong organizational culture and help guide decision-making, prioritize goals, and connect employees with a shared purpose.

But...what is the right order for these elements, and does it matter?

Depends on who you ask, and I definitely have my opinions (shared below).

First, let's define each:

Vision. Why are you here? What far-reaching aspirations are you focused on achieving?
Mission. What do yo do (based on strengths and passions)? How does the work get done?
Values. What rooted core beliefs frame the work? What does everyone believe?

Now, an example: Nike (duh).

Nike's vision is:

We see a world where everybody is an athlete — united in the joy of movement. Driven by our passion for sport and our instinct for innovation, we aim to bring inspiration to every athlete in the world and to make sport a daily habit.

Nike's mission is...not "Just do it."

Nike's mission is: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. [*If you have a body, you are an athlete.] This mission drives us to do everything possible to expand human potential.

Nike's values are:

Do the right thing
Be on the offense always
Serve athletes*
Create the future of sport
Win as a team

You'll notice allllll the key questions have been answered within their approach. and they follow a vision, mission, values sequence.