You’d be surprised by how many employees do not know their company mission.  I’d be willing to say that less than 1% can tell you the company mission.  While I have no science or statistics to back up that prediction, I’d be willing to bet a month of Sunday’s on it.  You know, as I write that, I realize that I never really understood that expression.  I’m confident.  That’s the point.

I recall doing a strategy session with a client’s executive leadership team.  I asked each one of them, and the owner of the company, to write the company’s mission.  It was an incredibly enlightening exercise.  As each person read their version or interpretation of the mission, the owner was immediately able to see where the disconnect was with his team members.  It immediately clicked with him that he could identify why people were not performing up to his standard; they were not clear on what the standard was in the first place.

At your next quarterly planning meeting, try this exercise.  Give everyone a moment to write their answers.  I recommend having every person read them aloud.  For those that are way off, follow up with those employees and schedule a time to educate and align them.

What’s Your Word

Another way of finding out how much of the mission your employees know and understand is to have them write one word.  Ask them, what one word represents why we do what we do? Or what one word represents the results we produce?  Or what one word describes the impact that this company strives to make in the lives of its customers and/or community.

Again, you’ll quickly be able to see who on your team is off track and who you need to have some remedial training with.  Remember that your job first and foremost is to be a leader.  Lead your team to the mission and lead them to the success of that mission.

I’m a firm believer that when a person understands the WHY (the mission), they are more likely to have buy in for the tasks that it takes to accomplish the mission.  We all have overflowing to do lists.  It’s just the nature of this thing called work.  The thing is, you are responsible for motivating your team to accomplish this work.  You don’t have to be a motivational speaker or give away cars like Oprah, you simply have to help your employees understand where they fit into the bigger picture and give them a connection to the work, beyond just a paycheck.  You don’t want anyone on your team who is simply working for a paycheck.

A culture is created when people work together for a greater good.  Define it and make sure that your employees understand it and keep it in the forefront of their minds as they perform their tasks.  Then you’ll be able to watch your company begin to flourish in a new and exciting way.

Need More?

 

Need a little more guidance planning for the success of your business? I'll let you in on a secret - I need guidance all the time!  Really!  The absolute best thing I have ever done for my business was to decide not to do it all alone.

That's why I built the DoverDrive Experience.  I know what it's like to carry the weight of a growing business on your shoulders and feel the pressure of having to know everything at all times.  It's exhausting and impossible.

Inside the DoverDrive Experience, you're getting learning/doing content shared with you EVERY week.  That means you create a cycle of business development.

You see, the biggest mistake that business owners make is that they only work ON their business when something isn't going right or when they don't have enough business to meet financial goals.  The truth is, if you work on yourbusiness continuously, you'd have less problems and less periods of feast or famine.

Join us inside the DoverDrive Experience and let's get started GROWING your business.