The mission statement of your organization is important because it defines what the purpose of the business is. Without a mission statement employees and customers have no idea what your business does or why it exists.
Leadership in Action exists to educate individuals to be aware of the possibilities of the human potential and teach the techniques and behaviors that result in individual growth. That is our mission statement. When we make decisions we can look at our mission statement and know if our plan is supportive of our mission. When our customers look at our mission statement they know exactly what we do at LIA and how well their goals match up with ours. It is important that you and your team know the mission of the organization. Most companies place it prominently for everyone to see. It does not need to be extravagant; simple and to the point is best so there is no question of what the goal for the company is. We talk about mission statements in the classes we teach because when our participants are setting goals or working on a project, they need to know if their plan is in alignment with what the company is trying to accomplish. We have had many participants that did not know the mission statement of the company they work for. That seems like a missed opportunity for the participant, the company they work for, and the customers they serve. How is it possible to excel when you do not know the purpose of what you are doing? Employees who know and understand the mission statement have more clarity in their role and how they fit into the big picture of the organization. They are able to see how what they do matters to the company and the customer and how what they contribute is making a difference. It also helps with buy in of the goals of the organization because the employee and the customer both know what the company stands for. Mission statements set the parameters for decision making. When you are working on a new project, brainstorming, or even in day to day interactions with customers, you can measure what you are doing against your mission statement. Are you accomplishing the purpose of the business? If not, what changes need to be made to align with the mission statement?
When we, at LIA, develop a course for a new client we can look at the content and clearly measure it against whether the material will result in individual growth. We can take results from a 360 Assessment and work with a class participant to set goals that will result in individual growth. We can review course evaluations and measure it against our mission statement to see if changes need to be made to our curriculum to enhance educational opportunities for individual growth. Look at your mission statement. Write it out. Set it as your screen saver. Keep it in front of you, in front of your team, and in front of your customers. Your goal should be to live that mission statement in everything you contribute to the organization. Use it as a guide to measure if what you are doing is in collaboration to why your company exists. It needs to be. After all, it is the purpose of the organization.