Maintaining a positive and connected corporate culture that adheres to your business’ long-term objectives, while making the office a pleasant place in which to work, is one of the keys to running an effective, thriving business. It’s one of the soft skills potential employees are looking for in interviews, and it should be evident in the company’s mission statement.
To make an effective mission statement that helps shape corporate culture, there are a few particular details that need to be included.
State Your Core Values
A company’s mission statement should clearly express your core values. From those values, your employees can understand what you expect from them. Say one of your core values is “putting the customer first.” If so, your employees should act accordingly.
Employee satisfaction is another crucial element to consider. Fifty-four per cent of employees are happier with a mission-driven company than one that is not, according to Forbes. Having a well-defined, shared goal will only improve the potential success of your business.
Be Specific
A mission statement is a document that expresses a code of conduct that your employees should adhere to while at work. Too much of a vague statement can lead to problems. Take WorldCom’s mission statement prior to the summer of 2002, when an audit revealed phony bank sheets: “Our objective is to be the most profitable, single-source provider of communications services to customers around the world.”
They weren’t lying about their goals, but that single sentence leaves plenty of room for corporate misdeeds.
A vague message creates the potential for other problems. Your employees may not have a sense of what you’re trying to accomplish. Current employees may have a different interpretation of your mission statement than a new hire, creating strife that might get in the way of business.
Ensure that your mission statement leaves no room for misinterpretation.
Build Trust
In this age of social media, where every business decision can be analyzed and tweeted about in a matter of seconds, trust and transparency have never been more important. Having a strong mission statement is a great way to start an employer/employee relationship built on trust.
Companies with a strong mission statement found that 81 per cent of their employees said they trust their leadership.
Talk to Employees
Since your employees are going to be a major part of shaping corporate culture, it might be worth asking them how they feel about the office. An anonymous survey, a suggestion box, or even just casual conversation can give you a sense of problems that you might need to address in your mission statement.
Stay Invested
Words are one thing, but it’s important that you follow up with action. A business is always evolving. Stay connected with your employees to ensure that they are living up to your company’s mission statement. Remain involved in daily activities to ensure that your employees have all the tools they need.
Kenny Hedges | Contributing Writer
