September 16, 2009
Vision statements, Mission statements, Core Values, Pillars and Goals, whatever you may call them in your organization....are they really part of your culture? Corporate America spends a lot of money and time on developing these kinds of statements for organizations. Senior leaders within companies often go off-site for hours or even days to somehow bring together these poetic words that they hope will somehow drive the bottom line and engage employees. They will often argue back and forth over a particular "word" to use. Furthermore, companies often write very big checks to consultants to offer their level of expertise in adding some hint of illumination on the topic. But, does it always come together the way we hope?
Here's an assignment for you: Stop reading this blog right now, walk down the hall of your organization and read whichever of these statements your organization has posted for you. Once you've had a chance to review it, come back to this blog and respond below to how that statement(s) make you feel. Are those statements alive and well in your organization's culture? That's the key here. It can't be just a fluffy set of words, suitable for framing, that adorn a hallway or employee bulletin board. It's got to part of your culture! Remember that leaders and organizations pour a lot of time and money into these projects.
I honestly feel and agree that in order for an organization to survive, it must have a strategic roadmap in place. A company can't have a strategic roadmap if it doesn't have an idea (vision/mission) on where it needs or wants to go. Part two is that those visions, missions, core values, etc., must be hardwired into the organization's culture to really make a difference. Otherwise, all leaders and managers have done is create a document that we can pat ourselves on the back about, hang it on the wall and walk away that we've done our good company deed for the year. Hardwire it leaders! Make it real in your organizations. Employees should know what the essence of the company's mission is all about. Train, train, and train some more. Show how these concepts are real and start with leadership. Give yourselves short-term goals to see results and adjust as needed with more strategies to drive forth mission. Better yet, get employees involved in the development of these ideas!
Walk your hallways, check your badges, what do you see? Values, ethics, mission, vision, core values, pillars, other fancy statements and concepts that describe who your company wants to be? I love those things! But.....are these statements really breathing in your organization? Can employees quote them or at least give some sort of narrative to describe what they mean? Make it real...once that is complete, and it could take time, big dividends await as well as an engaged group of people.
Brian J. Beck, PHR, M.H.R.O.D., has worked in the human resources field for over 15 years, focusing on recruitment/retention, HR strategic planning, organization and leadership development.