Over the years, many companies have fallen prey to various fads in business management. Probably none has been so popular as the “corporate mission statement.” How many firms have one – probably framed and hanging on the lobby wall where no one has looked at it for the past 10 years, unless it’s to poke fun at its lofty language that means next to nothing in the real world? Or, as Jody Urquhart puts it: “Imagine this: A company has very promising and fashionable philosophies about customer service, integrity, and trust. What are the glorious implications in the workplace? Nobody knows. Like beautiful footwear that doesn't fit, no one has been able to try them out.” Urquhart is the author of All Work & No SAY Takes the PASSION Away: Create a Passionate & Committed Workplace.
“Many companies invest a lot of time and resources to develop corporate philosophies (mission, vision and value statements), but employees don’t buy into them because they just don’t fit the actual job. In fact, some employees find these corporate philosophies loose and irritating,” Urquhart said.
Why? First of all, many are ambiguous. Imagine you’re a new employee and the company you work for tells you to follow certain philosophies. Yet you look around and you’re not sure even the manager believes or understands them and it’s unclear how they relate to your job.
How much damage can a mission statement do? Among the drawbacks:
· Ambiguous philosophies are hard to apply.
· Most are created by a small group of top executives and forced on everyone else.
· Many employees resent being told what to think and believe.
· Philosophy is theory. Business is a day-to-day, hands-on activity.
· In the end, it’s the employees who make things work. As such, they need to be an integral part of creating any corporate mission statement.
So how can you create a mission statement that does more good than harm?
Whether you like them or not, most successful organizations do have mission statements. The problem is, most individuals do not. But just like organizations, people need a purpose for their work, a “mission” that lends meaning to their daily activities.
The key then is to help your employees uncover their own sense of purpose in their work ... and then use what they learn into drafting a statement that will help guide and drive the company.
Employees need to define themselves outside of others’ expectations. They must decide what is purposeful about their work, what they enjoy and what success means to them. Employees with a strong sense of purpose are more accountable, self-motivated, and initiating. What to do:
· Encourage employees to think about why they are in the job in the first place (besides to pay the rent).
· Ask them, “What do you care about in terms of your work?” The core of individual purpose comes from really getting a hold of this question.
· Constantly ask your employees for answers. Just as they draw their paycheck, you need to draw from your talent base. Create conversations about things that matter and will help them build a sense of identity. Employees with a sense of purpose will do a good job, no matter what's going on around them.
· Tie everyday tasks and roles to the bigger picture. Relate each employee’s contribution to the betterment of your customers, the company and the community.
From individual needs to collective purpose.
As you continue to ask employees what they care about in their jobs, their answers will eventually move away from individual concerns and toward helping others and building a collective purpose. As psychologist and existentialist Abraham Maslow suggests in his now-famous Hierarchy of Needs, employees first need to satisfy their lower-order needs, like food and shelter (paycheck), and their social needs (interaction) before they can begin to address any higher-order needs, like purposeful work. In other words, they must take care of their individual needs before they can spare enough energy to contribute to others. Through coaching and follow-up, managers can help employees care for their own needs so they can free up their energy for the good of the group.
Applying the above strategies will turn your polished corporate philosophies into a mission statement that works. Remember, employees are the resource that makes things happen. Their buy-in is essential.
Once You Have a Mission Statement That Works ...
· Put it on posters that are hung in all offices, conference rooms, and other logical areas.
· Put it on the back of your business cards (if it fits).
· Weave it into company publications, your newsletter, etc.
· Cover it in new-hire orientations.
· Put it on your intranet and on your Web.
· Coach key leaders to connect it to the company’s goals and objectives.
· Involve employees in translating it into behaviors, so everyone knows what’s expected.
Another Mission Statement Misfire.
If you find yourself struggling at some point during your mission statement creation process, here’s a chuckle for you:
Question: Whose mission statement says that the company prides itself on four key values – respect, integrity, communication, and excellence – and that all business dealings are to be “open and fair?”
Answer: Enron.
This information was provided by The Institute of Management & Administration.