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Mission Statement: Defining Values and Behavior
Mission statements befuddle me. Too many are advertising gimmicks that sound good but have no translation into how a customer or an employee is treated in real life. Then there are vision statements. And there's lots of confusion between the two. If you ask employees in companies with these statements what they are and what they represent, only rarely do you get a correct answer. So skip them unless you are willing to put the effort and education behind them to make them meaningful.
What I do like is statements of belief. While these often have meaning for the client, they are most meaningful to your staff in delineating the principles that govern how the company operates and what is acceptable treatment of clients, staff, subs and suppliers. These principles often constitute the defining difference between the really special remodeler and the run-of-the-mill contractor.
Here's why it is so important to define your beliefs and write them down. As company owner, you may have high principles, deep caring and sensitivity toward others, but as the company grows, how do new employees learn this? If these principles aren't institutionalized, they can't be part of the hiring process. Most experts in hiring will tell you that employee/employer mismatches are more often a result of a culture clash than an issue of ability.
Secondly, if these principles aren't written and emphasized frequently, they can't be used to analyze and train for acceptable behavior. If respect for the individual is one of your rock solid company beliefs, then when someone's behavior isn't congruent, it's a chance to teach why this doesn't fit the all-important governing principles of the company. But remember, even universally accepted principles like respect and honesty are subject to a wide range of interpretation by employees from different backgrounds.
Let me give you an example. Harley-Davidson, the highly respected motorcycle manufacturer, espouses five company-wide written values simply stated:
*Tell the truth
*Be fair
*Keep your promises
*Respect the individual.
*Encourage intellectual curiosity.
These values are universal in the company and govern their relationship with employees, investors, buyers and dealers. We'd all agree with these five values -- they're as American as Mom and apple pie. However, Harley goes further to define each value and list behaviors that would be congruent with the values For instance, they back up "Encourage intellectual curiosity" with this definition: "Create an atmosphere that values the obtaining and applying of new knowledge." Then Harley lists five behaviors that should be practiced at every level in the company:
* Allocate resources to learning
* Encourage risk taking
* Challenge the status quo
* Benchmark performance against the best in class
* Be open to influence
* Accept responsibility for lifelong learning
By listing values, defining them and then defining some of the key behaviors that exhibit that value in practice, Harley gives staff and clients something tangible with which to work. At the same time this effort shows that the company is serious enough to put their beliefs in writing. In fact, Harley puts its neck on the line. If I work for Harley and my department's budget has no line item for education, I can call them to task. If I want to visit another company to learn about their excellent shipping practices, I can sell my supervisor within the framework of the company's stated beliefs. But this accountability factor is what makes listing behaviors so important.
I urge you to develop key values statements for your company. To make them stick, the process needs to be democratic. Democracy, where everyone has input, is much slower than dictatorship where you issue commands forth from your office. But it's the only way to go. Schedule monthly meetings over a year's time. Form some cross-departmental committees to work between meetings and bring the results of their work back to the big meetings. Your statement of company values, definitions and appropriate behaviors will be a living document that is improved and changed over time. It will be a major selling tool to attract new employees to the company and to bring current employee behavior into line with the company philosophy.
If you've got a fluffy mission statement that no one really knows or follows or a mealy-mouthed vision, start defining what really makes your company special - the belief system under which you operate. The process of getting there will be as important as the destination.
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Official Charity of 2008
Remodelers Advantage Inc.
535 Main Street, Suite 211
Laurel, MD 20707
ofc: 301-490-5620
fax: 301-498-6869
Info@RemodelersAdvantage.com