Introduction to 3M Mission Statement
This article will be breaking down and profoundly analyzing the 3M mission and vision statement, seeing how these statements drive their everyday ideologies, leading to the 3M we see today. Let me start this note by asking the very rudimentary question, “Who is 3M Company LTD”? For if we are going on a fox hunting operation, it is proper. I am taught how a fox looks. This question will open us properly to why it is worth analyzing 3M. I do not know how much you love understanding success. For me, I think there is a lot to learn and apply. We will discuss the 3M Mission Statement here.
According to Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3M ). 3M is a Multi Continental conglomerate, innovating, manufacturing, and servicing in basic and advanced health care facilities and equipment, Industrial, personal, and official safety equipment, general industrial tools, and general consumers(home and official) goods. Their line of products is too wide that if I were to list them, it would consume more than 30 times the required numbers of words for this article. With more than 61,567 products in the market, that is the least interesting fact about 3M. The fact that they have not just survived, but thrived through the first and the second world wars. Mean, that themselves are an immovable part of human civilization, and just like the moving hands of a clock, they have gracefully walked through history. Truly touching our everyday life as it goes. Let us match chest out into the subject matter. Starting from the company’s mission motto, slowly digesting it down to its vision statement.
“3M Is Committed To Actively Contributing To Sustainable Development Through Environmental Protection, Social Responsibility, And Economic Progress.”
The above is the mission statement of 3M. The how they live up to their mission, the why they choose their path, and how their culture and practices enable them to live up to their mission is what I will be trying to talk about. Talking about culture, I do not see a way of thinking about culture without a touch of history. There is a why behind most cultural norms and decisions, and the ‘WHY’ is history. Here is a company on a mission to develop and at the same time protect the environment and also lead to the improved economic life of the society. How exactly do they hope to do all these complex and complicated yet meaningful and good things? Through their products. Products are extensively wide enough to reach out to almost every part of our lives. Before going further, I would like to quickly point out the diversity of their mission, from environmental development to economic progress to social responsibility. I mean, these are almost non-related. Thus making it difficult to keep up with. Except you are 3M. It currently feels like child’s play, how they skillfully and easily maneuver their way through this vast, diverse mission. The word mastery comes into mind anytime I think of 3M. With over 100 years of continuous practice, I can say; they have mastered the act of diversity. How easy has it been to keep up with the culture of diversity? And how has diversity helped them grow alongside their mission statement?
I think it would be impossible to keep up with a promise of diversity if yourself is not deeply diverse in your culture and core. Looking at 3M from the origin. It has a background of 5 founding individuals from 4 different professional backgrounds. ( Dr. J. Danley Budd, Henry. S. Bryan, William A. McGonagle, John Dwan and Hermon W. Cable in Two Harbors, MN – https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/about-3m/history/ ). That itself points to a very diverse beginning and also means that the Ideas surrounding its start was wild, with the likeliness to turn in any direction. Having products covering a wide range of human endeavors, they can rightly claim to have cared through difficulties. Because their product does not do this, it will do that, and their new human development goals through training. A plan to train 5 million people was set to take place before the end of 2025. And a marker as of 2018 had been 98,000 people and employees – https://www.astrogrowth.com/blog/3m.
How Is 3M Protecting The Environment?
Quickly mention the very memorable product that came in handy when the world needed it. Yes, The N95 respirator mask is the product I am calling your attention to. Approved in 1972 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3M ) makes me feel that 3M went back in time to save our lives. That being one from the list of products and initiatives. From the 3P (Pollution Prevention Pays) program to the numerous innovations to help renewable energy solutions – https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/power-generation-us/. The wet and dry sandpaper was one of the earliest examples of its innovative power in work safety and convenience. From dustless smoothening to Highways construction reflection tapes, The world has never been safer until 1902, when Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company came to life. With more than I can count safety products, I can say that 3M have done justice to environmental safety. https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/?N=5002385+8709322+8711017+3294857497&rt=r3.
How Is 3M Adding To Economic Progress?
According to https://www.statista.com/statistics/733588/3m-number-of-employees-worldwide/ 3M has 96,163 employees as of 2019. 3M, in other words, is providing a source of livelihood to almost 100 000 people directly and indirectly through the fact that their product greases the malls, thereby adding to the revenue source of most retail marketers. In this time of world pandemic, 3M has further made us feel safer and thus help institutes kickstart their businesses through its innovation in particulate respirator masks and hand hygiene products. Its numerous training promises to reach millions by 2025 and is another pointer that the future is better with 3M. Yes, a future where more than 5 Million people are skilled and employment fit. Having its presence in more than 2 continents, 3M factories, research facilities, warehouses, and offices all add to providing so much employment for the locals where it is found, hence improving the local economy of its location. Not only is 3M doing this, but has been doing this for more than 100 years. What more is economic progress to a shareholder than a company paying dividends for more than 115 years now.
3M is improving lives all over the globe through its product. So I say, there is nobody on earth in a city who has never used a 3M product. And this is an indicator that 3M is a global Economic determinant. In defense of my last statement, according to Wikipedia, 3M is ranked 95 in the fortune 500 lists of companies in America based on the companies revenue (2018). Also, it is one of the top stable 30 companies in the stock market.
3M And Its Role in Social Responsibility
What I will be saying here wouldn’t be alien to you. Because 3M is a Company rooted in innovation and collaboration, it wasn’t long before they partnered with key players in the industry to kickstart the rapid and timely manufacturing of aid kids and protective equipment for the COVID-19 pandemic relief. 3M as a company has put so much into educating those with who it comes in contact. With its official presence in 70 world countries, I can only wish that my tone matches their efforts in these difficult times. Themselves as a beacon of Social responsibility, also ensures the future is filled with people who are socially aware and responsible:- The ongoing training program will ensure that the society is filled with people who will enhance peace and obedience in the society ( as mentioned by Robert green in his book Mastery – noting that craft men are more coordinated and attentive, making them better citizens ). 5Million skilled men before 2025, what more can I say?
Yes, the changes 3M brings will be sustainable because they touch every crucial part of human endeavor. And they only do not make changes. They make plans to make sure that their changes only change for the better.
“3M Products Enhancing Every Home. 3M Innovation Improving every life.”
The above is the vision statement of 3M. Let me quickly put it that a mission and vision statement go together. It is like the relationship between a bicycle and its rider. Let me say ‘It is likely only when you have the vision to enhance EVERY home, and also INNOVATE to improve EVERY life, that you can say that you are on a mission to “actively contributing to sustainable development through environmental protection, social responsibility, and economic progress.”
This vision statement points to two vital things; Products and Innovation. I spoke earlier on the diversity of 3M’s products as well as its range. The other thing I never spoke of was, why so many products? How come? How possible could that even be?
Let me jump quickly into a brief section of old tales. The Above is a company with a disturbing past. Almost a horror to the mind, even considering passing through what 3M endured. Integrity is one core value every new company tries to build. A company was then forced by actual necessity (No other option) and had to go to the market with a noticeable inferior product. Putting both their integrity and their revenue in jeopardy. Yes, They started as an actual mining operation. Spending money, time, and other resources in the actual mining operations, only to start operations and then determine that they were mining the wrong mineral. They were mining for CORUNDUM and ended up with Anorthite. Before I go on, let me tell you why this was such a bad thing. Corundum is not affected by acid. Anorthite is. And another is that corundum is the second hardest element after diamond, while Anorthite is not half as strong. The effect of the mistake made by 3M left a mark that completely altered the way 3M operated. When they were restabilized by two investors(Edgar Ober and Lucius Ordway), they purchased their raw materials instead of mined them. And what 3M was soon mining was human resources.
3M Products Enhancing Every Home
In line with this statement, 3M has produced diverse hundreds of products and improved hundreds more to meet consumers’ needs and convenience. Consumers’ products are the widest known 3M products and their smallest area in revenue and products. 3M noticeably from my last sentence produces more industrial products than it produces home(consumer) products. But for its love for families and homes, where real changes should be focused, It has the vision to enhance “Every Home.”
3M Innovation Improving Every Life
When 3M reentered the market with a better sandpaper quality, they were not the only ones with good quality sandpaper. But because they had a point to prove in the line of innovation. They quickly surpassed their earliest competitors by embracing innovation. Inventing the Wet and Dry sandpaper, 3M put its foot firmly in the industry. This was because the newly innovated.
Sandpaper truly improved lives; Less dust means a healthier work environment, smoother surfaces means less harmful surfaces and finer designs, workability under wet weather conditions means that rain no longer stops specific work processes. Its remarkable success was not due to good sandpaper quality but because it had chosen to spend money and time funding new research and innovations. Their products only increased in the market, as ideas from the lab were going right into the market, and emerging industries such as automobiles had vast help with innovations from 3M. If I must add to their list of victories in harmony with their vast innovations, I will quickly mention that 3M went to the moon, fought both world wars, and still came out unsoiled.
3M obtained its first patent in 1924, 24 years after it started. And today, 3M has well over 100 000 patents, adding nearly 3000 new ones to its list every year Wikipedia. To say less, go to https://www.3m.com and wow yourself by clicking on the product link on top of the page.
It is easy to conclude that 3M is working tirelessly to improve our everyday life through scientific innovations. In industries where quality may also mean life or death, an example is the construction and Healthcare industry. 3M being a mark of quality and standard, have improved the way and confidence in which healthcare workers and field workers go about doing their businesses. I don’t know who you are and the kind of business you do. 3M is out to help you.
When teams were looking for expressive ways to communicate, 3M came with Post-it. When the automobile needed paint aids and smoother surfaces, 3M came along with good painting grades tapes and wet and dry sandpaper. When safety was a question on the highway, 3M came along with reflective tapes. When the problem was in the air, 3M came along with respirators. How much more does a company show commitment to the improvement of life than these?
Also read Nike Mission, Vision Statement & Values Analysis
