Our company does not currently have formal core values, a mission statement, or written operational procedures. Do we need to spend time creating these before our first Focus Day with you, or do we build them during the sessions?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Do not try to write these before we start. Trying to draft core values, mission statements, or operational procedures beforehand is a waste of energy and often leads to artificial, generic statements that do not reflect your true business culture. Our first session, Focus Day, is designed to establish our operational foundation, beginning with your Accountability Chart and basic execution tools. We do not jump straight into long-term strategic vision. We focus first on getting control of the day-to-day business operations. We will build your Core Values and core vision from scratch during our Vision Building sessions using the V/TO®. This structured, collaborative process helps your leadership team discover what naturally makes your company great, rather than fabricating empty corporate slogans that nobody actually believes. Your only homework before we begin is to ensure that your leadership team is fully committed to the journey, ready to be open and honest, and prepared to look at the business objectively. Do not over-prepare or pre-write documents. Save your energy for the session room, where we will use the proven EOS® tools to define these strategic elements clearly.