Does your Mission Statement Jive With Employees?
“Mission Statements” and “Customer Service Commitments” are often written in a vacuum as if every employee is in lockstep with the company’s best interests at all times. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Managers and Management Trainers often act as though the priorities and policies of their organization are always in the forefront of the minds of their employees. Not true.
Your employees have other things on their minds. They aren’t working just because they think you are the most amazing, most dedicated, most environmentally-friendly, most important, most wonderful, awesome and well-run company with a golly-gee commitment to your customers. “And, gosh-darnit, I want to work with a company with THAT VISION!”
They are working because they have a mortgage, two kids – one in college, car payments, and/or a vision for their own future. Your employees have their own “mission statement,” their own “value proposition,”and their own priorities.
Organizations that pay attention to the human side of their employees are the organizations that succeed.
If you aren’t paying attention to the subtext of your employees’ lives, you aren’t getting where you need to go. Your mission statement is hollow, your Commitment to your Customers is a lie.
Organizations that pay attention to the human side of their employees are the organizations that succeed.
Do this:
- Find out what your staff is working towards… what are their goals. And can your company help them reach those goals?
- Find out why they took this job with you.
- Ask if they think it’s a “job” or a “career” – big difference in commitment.
- Find out what they expect to happen in this job / career.
- Ask if they are getting support and encouragement from their boss.
- Ask if there is another job within the company they’d like to learn.
- Ask what they feel their last three accomplishments are at your company, and why.
- And finally – ask them what they honestly think about your mission statement and Customer Value Proposition – do they believe it, and do they think it’s deliverable?
Bottom line? If your employees aren’t engaged, you aren’t delivering what your ads and mission statement say you are. If that’s the case, my money’s on your competitor who understands this…
Beth
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@ 2007-2010 Beth Terry, CSP, Beth Terry Seminars, Inc. All Rights Reserved
I needed this today. Good thoughts. My Leadership Team is revisiting our mission statement and goals this week. I had never thought about some of your questions. Thank you.
Fred