{"id":77482,"date":"2020-06-19t12:00:21","date_gmt":"2020-06-19t16:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=77482"},"modified":"2021-09-29t22:15:29","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30t02:15:29","slug":"why-mission-statements-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2020\/06\/19\/why-mission-statements-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"profit is not a mission"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>why mission statements matter and how firms fail.<\/strong><\/p>\n by steven e. sacks do you think your staff knows what your firm\u2019s mission statement is?<\/p>\n more: <\/b>does your firm\u2019s board know its role?<\/a> | trust is a key organizational ingredient<\/a> | real influence vs. immediate gratification<\/a> | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction<\/a> | retention starts with the hiring interview<\/a> | the new way to handle exit interviews<\/a> | who\u2019ll quit next?<\/a> | smart trust in the workplace<\/a> wait. let me back up. does your staff even know that such a mission statement exists?<\/p>\n my guess is no and no.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n does your firm\u2019s leadership engage in a dialogue with the entire staff what actually defines success and the framework for achieving it?<\/p>\n does it also seek feedback?<\/p>\n if the prevailing understanding is that success is dictated by a better bottom line than the prior year, then leadership has failed to create a cohesive and articulate message. this is no small oversight. rather, it is a recipe for dissension, apathy, and dishonesty.<\/p>\n in order to create an environment where each individual knows his or her role in helping the organization to be successful, both quantitatively and qualitatively, leadership should establish the 3-c concept:<\/p>\n these components are the building blocks for establishing the right focus, strategies, and actions.<\/p>\n \u201cwhen you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. it will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.\u201d \u2013<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0w. clement stone<\/p><\/blockquote>\n explain the what and why<\/strong><\/p>\n an organization can be flexible and innovative if it understands why it exists, where it fits into the market, how it is viewed by its competitors and how it functions with respect to its overall philosophy.<\/p>\n many firms try to create a mission statement from how it currently operates. this is putting the cart before the horse. the result is spouting a litany of \u201cstuff\u201d that sounds more like a wish list or a to-do list rather than the actual essence of the entity.<\/p>\n consider some of the following mission statements. their brevity and clarity make them impactful and relatable:<\/p>\n amnesty international:<\/strong>\u00a0to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of these rights.<\/p>\n make-a-wish:<\/strong> \u201cwe grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.\u201d<\/p>\n teach for america:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cgrowing the movement of leaders who work to ensure that kids growing up in poverty get an excellent education.\u201d<\/p>\n granted, not-for-profit organizations have an easier time articulating their reason for being because lofty and positive goals tend to obviate the fixation on the bottom line and instead promote a \u201cbig picture\u201d perspective.<\/p>\n when you look at for-profit organizations, their mission statements have in-depth explanations with the usual themes of \u201cwe want to be the firm of choice.\u201d \u201cour hallmark of success is our continued focus on our key lines of service.\u201d \u201cto serve our customers by providing a broad range of products.\u201d<\/p>\n yawn.<\/p>\n because i endured tax seasons earlier in my career, let me share this timely mission statement from a for-profit organization:<\/p>\n h&r block:<\/strong> \u201cto help our clients achieve their financial objectives by serving as their tax and financial partner. as the world\u2019s largest tax services company, h & r block has one-to-one relationships with millions of clients, helping them benefit from all of the deductions and credits available to them and build a better financial future. it is the only major company that offers a full range of software, online and in-office tax solutions, combined with financial information and suggestions that enable clients to consider how they could achieve their financial objectives. this advice \u2013 the h &r block advantage \u2013 includes suggestions about retirement savings, homeownership, saving for their children\u2019s college education, eligibility for government programs, and other alternatives. when clients request in-depth financial plans and investment advice, their h & r block tax professional refers them to h & r block financial advisors inc., which can assist them with a detailed investment plan and investment services. h & r block financial advisors, member nyse, sipc, employs more than 1,000 financial advisors serving clients in more than 150 offices in the u.s. h & r block inc. is not a registered broker-dealer. clients who request information about home mortgages are referred to h &r block mortgage corp., which offers a full range of retail mortgage products. our research shows that our h &r block advantage advice package along with related financial services increased client satisfaction with h & r block\u2019s tax services. h & r block has long been a trusted tax partner to millions of taxpayers. now we are enhancing the value of our tax services by helping clients as their tax and financial partner.\u201d<\/p>\n this is simply a laundry list of activities that can be found in an annual or management report. i wouldn\u2019t describe it as motherhood and apple pie. at the conclusion of reading it, does it stand out? is it memorable? is it distinctive? as an h & r employee, if you can recite this word for word, well, good for you … i think.<\/p>\n but let\u2019s give credit where credit is due.<\/p>\n here is microsoft\u2019s mission statement:<\/strong> \u201cwe work to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. this is our mission. everything we do reflects this mission and the values that make it possible.\u201d<\/p>\n it\u2019s a roadmap, not a novel<\/strong><\/p>\n microsoft follows the precepts of what a mission statement should be by answering the following:<\/p>\n often less is more. make your mission statement something to be accomplished \u2013 something that can be evaluated, and most of all, make it understandable to your staff, clients, and other interested parties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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