or service.
You want your mission statement to be written from the point of view of your clientele. What benefits do they get from the product or service you provide? What’s in it for them?
Once you have your mission statement, everyone in the company needs to personally figure out what they contribute to the mission. How does their job support the mission of the company? The mission should be designed so that everyone in your company becomes excited and energized at the thought of fulfilling their part.
Values:
The next step is to discuss company values. Values will help determine how the mission statement will be supported. The company must clearly articulate what values are important in living out the company’s purpose.
When values are written, employees should know exactly what it looks like when they are living the company values. Behavioral examples are important.
When an organization has taken the time to outline their values, then they can hold people accountable for behaving in line with the values and people who are interviewing for a job can make a conscious decision to accept an offer based on whether or not their values are compatible with the company’s values.
Blanchard and Stoner write, “There’s a lot of power in values. I think it’s because values tap into people’s feelings. People cherish their values and are deeply emotional about them. When they act in support of their values, they are proud of their actions. . .Values serve as the driving force behind purpose. Values supply the energy and excitement that help people remain committed when the going gets tough.”
Vision:
A company’s vision describes its direction for the future. As Coaching for Excellence’s Empowered Leadership teaches us, there is much more energy associated with working toward what a person wants, as opposed to what he doesn’t want so a vision statement must be expressed positively.
Once you have a map describing where you are going, it’s easy to know what to do next. As goals are accomplished, the next goals come into focus.
Blanchard and Stoner enumerate eight elements of a compelling vision:
* Helps us understand what business we’re really in
* Provides guidelines that help us make daily decisions
* Provides a picture of the desired future that we can actually see
* Is enduring
* Is about being “great”—not expressed solely in numbers
* Touches the hearts and spirits of everyone
* Helps each person see how he or she can contribute
If your company wants to develop a strong vision statement, start today. Begin with conversations about why you are in business, but don’t end there. Develop the mission, the values and vision and then keep the excitement alive by continuously talking about it.
Article Source: http://www.articleblender.com
Kim Olver is a professional coach, specializing in the field of interpersonal skills, empowerment and leadership development. She has functioned in the role of supervisor and administrator for over 20 years. This column is for readers to submit their questions for Kim to answer. It could be a question about supervision skills, maximizing teamwork, customer service, interpersonal skills or client satisfaction and empowerment. No interpersonal question in the field of work is off limits. For more information visit www.coachingforexcellence.biz/Coaching.shtml or contact Kim by email to Kim@CoachingforExcellence.biz.
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