We spend so much time and effort to craft the perfect mission for our organization. The perfect mission statement is a brief yet broad statement about your organization’s goals. There may also be a part of your mission describing how you’re going to get there.
A lot of times, the mission of an organization overlaps with the vision. That’s because the two are intertwined. When you know your mission, you can also know your vision.
But what happens after crafting the perfect mission statement? What happens when you know precisely why you’re doing business?
The mission statement gets put on the back burner. It’s there in print but largely forgotten.
It’s time to change that. You can keep your mission in mind.
How To Keep Your Mission In Mind
We don’t want our mission to be forgotten. So, what do we do about it? We keep the mission in mind by doing the following:
Become a broken record:
You can’t let your organization’s mission (or your personal mission) be forgotten. You’ve got to become a broken record.
Whenever you have the opportunity, share the mission of your organization. Tell the people you’re leading why the company is doing what they’re doing. Remind senior leaders that there’s a reason beyond the corporate profits.
Repeat, repeat, repeat. Even when you think people know why you do what you do, keep repeating. Although the repetition may make people nauseated, the mission will be planted deep within their minds.
Proudly display the mission:
I remember walking into the Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Vice President of Talent Dee Ann Turner gave my wife, Paul Sohn, and me a tour. As we toured the sacred halls, we could tell what Chick-fil-A’s mission was. They plastered their mission over the walls.
Are you proud of the mission of your organization? Did you or someone within the organization work hard to craft the mission? Then why not be proud about displaying the mission so people can see it?
The more people see the mission, the more they can take the mission to heart.
Revisit your mission:
Not only do you need to repeat and display your mission so you and others can remember what you’re headed for, but you also have to revisit it regularly. This may seem strange, as you think your mission is a life-long pathway.
That’s not true. Sometimes, your mission can change. Maybe you’ve accomplished your mission. What’s next? There’s always something else you can do.
Take time to examine your mission. See what’s changed. See if anything needs to be added or removed. Maybe things need to be completely rebuilt.
Be willing to revisit your mission to rebuild or revamp.
