Do you know the mission of your company or nonprofit? If so, did you learn it through curiosity, a delegated task, or training?
What is a Mission
“A mission statement is an action-oriented statement declaring the purpose an organization serves to its audience. It often includes a general description of the organization, its function, and its objectives.” 1 This mission is usually a simple phrase that shares why a business exists. With commitment, a well-thought-out mission can be the force that drives an organization.
In my opinion, commitment to a mission designed with intention will provide leaders with both encouragement and frustration. The encouragement can come from incremental wins in route to the achievement of larger goals. The frustration can come from limited results or obstacles to improvement. Consider how these feelings can support momentum when measuring progress on the mission statements below.
(Forbes lists United Way, Feed America, and Salvation Army as some of the top nonprofits2)
1) United Way: To improve lives by uniting the caring power of our community
2) Feed America: To advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all in partnership with food banks, policymakers, supporters, and the communities we serve
3) Salvation Army: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination
(According to HubSpot, these are some of the best mission statements1)
1) Life is Good: To spread the power of optimism
2) Sweetgreen: To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food
3) Patagonia: We’re in business to save our home planet
What Leaps out for you after a quick review of these missions? One thing you may instantly notice is that each one requires action.
Mission Drives People
These mission statements are examples of excellent words arranged in clear and concise sentences; however, the value comes when the mission drives the people, suppliers, team members, and consumers to make sure the words hold true.
When an organization invests the time to formulate a mission and vision, it must also engage and invest time to deliver on it.
I believe that measuring something doesn’t automatically lead to its improvement. Ultimately, “mission is managed and grown by people.” Research shared by Forbes states “mission-driven workers are 54 percent more likely to stay for five years at a company and 30 percent more likely to grow into high performers than those who arrive at work with only their paycheck as the motivator.”3
As a leader or team member, your knowledge and actions are enhanced when aligned with a mission. Here are a few things you can do as you seek to improve performance in your organization.
What Can You Do, Today?
1) Revisit your mission. It is possible to achieve short-term and long-term goals without an expressed mission statement. To increase impact, take the bold step forward to share the mission for your organization and continue to set and pursue audacious goals.
2) Explore value and discover how better can be achieved through incremental changes. This means that you seek to realize the unique value you and your company can create
3) Be relentless in the pursuit of better. This pursuit may require the regulation of grit, quality, innovation, collaboration, diversity, and other values that become important to your team members and consumers
Call to Action
Missions are easier to remember than they are to execute. So even if you can remember a mission continue to ask how you deliver on it, and then be intentional about how you partner and plan to discover better.
Resources:
- Inspiring Company Mission Statements
- Americas Top 100 Charities
- The Importance Of Having A Mission-Driven Company
The mission of Leap Here is to support people, companies, and nonprofits in their Leap to create value.
Photo by Alena Darmel: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-person-s-hand-pointing-to-a-graph-7707016/
