A company's main goal does not need to be absolutely unique. Its purpose is usually more distinctive. Just like Grundfos strives to improve the quality of peoples’ lives, thousands of other companies and organizations seek to achieve a similar goal. This, on its own, does not weaken a company’s employees’ aspirations to reach that goal. While Visotsky Consulting helps to turn businesses around by implementing management tools targeted to improve a company's management culture and enhance its effectiveness, thousands of other consulting and business-training companies seek to achieve this same goal. However, a company’s purpose is always individual.

The Purpose

The second part of a mission statement is to define the company's purpose. Every strong company has its own individual operating style, which determines the actions of that company. For example, Apple’s purpose is to develop both software and hardware to achieve ideal compatibility with one another. Unlike Microsoft’s operating system, Apple’s OS and certain applications were designed to work only on Apple hardware. Apple was a total and self-contained package. In 1995, before Steve Jobs returned to the company, Apple’s management decided to change this purpose and sold the license to manufacture Apple-compatible computers (using Apple’s OS) to a few companies, most notably to Motorola and Power Computing. Apple then had to suffer the consequences. Abolition of third-party manufacturer licensing was one of the first things Jobs did upon his return to the company. If the main goal determines the general orientation of the company’s operations, the purpose determines a specific, particular way of operating that the group is trying to achieve. It may sound complicated, but in essence, it is very simple.

Let’s look again at the Grundfos mission statement. Its first part, “to successfully develop, produce, and sell high-quality pumps and pumping systems worldwide”, is actually a pretty clear purpose statement. It is how they are going about fulfilling the main goal of “contributing to a better quality of life and a healthy environment.” By the way, Apple has another purpose, which Steve Jobs always carried out well: The products have to be aesthetically pleasing. In fact, the design is even more important than the technical elements in manufacturing. The design of every aspect of the visible and user-function controls and ports was just as important as the technology operating inside. If Apple remains loyal to this purpose, it will never manufacture cheap products, as the low cost of such products is achieved by improving the internal technological process at the expense of slick design and user-friendly interfaces. As for McDonald’s, the main part of their purpose is cleanliness, a limited number of items on the menu, and fast service. By stating its purpose, the company’s owner predetermines what the company is going to be like. For example, Visotsky Consulting’s purpose is consulting with business owners and leading them through the difficulties of implementing essential management tools. Our purpose is embodied in our core product, the Business Owners Program. We do not do anything else.

It is important to focus on defining the organization’s purpose, as this is what will lead the group to fulfilling its main goal. If a small company has too broad a purpose, it will just waste its resources. If instead the purpose is more narrowly defined, the company will concentrate its resources toward its main goal. Take, for example, a furniture manufacturer that defines as its main goal “creating comfort in life,” and its purpose as “to design, manufacture, and sell modern, well-designed furniture made available to a wide range of customers.” The intent is very well defined. Clearly, the manufacturer will not produce luxury furniture and will not use high-grade natural wood. A well-defined purpose determines which market a company will serve, who its customers will be, its distribution process, and which resources and equipment it will use.