Archive for the ‘Mission’ Category

You know, CEOs it is your responsibility to make sure that everyone in your organization knows your vision, your core values, and your mission.  No doubt you have spent a good deal of time preparing these parts of your culture, but have you done all that you can to communicate them to your people?  More important, have you made sure that your messages about culture have been clearly understood by everyone?  All too often we find that even though the CEO has tried to make sure everyone is on board, there are people in the organization who really don’t get it.

Here’s a tip:  Take every opportunity you can to communicate your culture to your team.  Whatever means you use to get the message out, be sure to craft that message with care.  It is important to think about how the people who will read or hear the message will understand what you are saying.  It is even a good idea to check with members of your team periodically to see if they are on the same page you are.  Remember, if you want to communicate clearly you need to make sure that your message is understood by the person who receives the message.  To make this happen, craft every message with care.

This has been your CEO Rule of the Week.  I am Ruben Estrada.  Your Next Move

No doubt you know that it’s your responsibility to insure that everybody throughout your organization clearly understands the vision of the company, its values, and the mission of the organization.  Yet from time to time through our actions and through the actions of our people, we may be compromising our vision, values, or mission.  Not intentionally, but it just happens in business.  Changes in the scope of the business, economics, struggles within the organization or employee turnover can all draw us off.  Often the vision, your core values, and your mission get a little bit tweaked.

Here’s a tip:  On a regular basis, once a week ideally, once a month if necessary, but at minimum once a quarter, take some time and push out a message to all of your employees.  You can use email, a newsletter, or maybe even a recorded voice message.  Use that message to reset the scales.  Re-communicate the vision of the organization.  If possible communicate something that the company has done recently to move closer to that vision.  Review your mission and communicate a strategic initiative that was accomplished that gets the company closer to serving that mission.  When you do send this message, be sure to let people know how they can contribute to living the vision and accomplishing the mission.

This has been your CEO Rule of the Week.  I am Ruben Estrada.  Your Next Move

No doubt you know that it’s your responsibility to insure that everybody throughout your organization clearly understands the vision of the company, its values, and the mission of the organization.  Yet from time to time through our actions and through the actions of our people, we may be compromising our vision, values, or mission.  Not intentionally, but it just happens in business.  Changes in the scope of the business, economics, struggles within the organization or employee turnover can all draw us off.  Often the vision, your core values, and your mission get a little bit tweaked.

Here’s a tip:  On a regular basis, once a week ideally, once a month if necessary, but at minimum once a quarter, take some time and push out a message to all of your employees.  You can use email, a newsletter, or maybe even a recorded voice message.  Use that message to reset the scales.  Re-communicate the vision of the organization.  If possible communicate something that the company has done recently to move closer to that vision.  Review your mission and communicate a strategic initiative that was accomplished that gets the company closer to serving that mission.  When you do send this message, be sure to let people know how they can contribute to living the vision and accomplishing the mission.

This has been your CEO Rule of the Week.  I am Ruben Estrada.  Your Next Move

Click here to listen to the CEO rule of the week

In crafting your Corporate Culture there are three key elements. The first is your vision, which is that seemingly unrealistic goal that you and your people continually strive to achieve. The second is your core values. These define how you treat the human elements which are also known as the relationships of your business. This includes how you treat your customers, your employees, your vendors, your community, and the business itself. And the last element of culture is your mission. The mission sets your strategic direction. It defines who you are, what you do, who you serve, and how you serve them. More importantly it defines what sets you apart from your competition. Basically it defines everything you do. All the systems you build in your business, such as systems for sales, client retention operations, IT, administration, or finance, should be benchmarked against that mission. If you have not yet assigned the mission, then you have made a critical tactical error.

Here’s a tip: If you don’t have a mission statement, plan today to write one and communicate it to your team immediately. Make sure it answers these three key questions: Who you are? What do you do? Who do you serve, meaning what is your target market, how do you serve them, and more importantly, what is your unique impact that sets you apart from everyone else. If you already have a mission statement, take a close look at it and be sure that it answers these key questions. Remember, if your mission statement does not answer these questions, then you are probably making a tactical error.

This has been your CEO Rule of the Week. I am Ruben Estrada. Your Next Move

Click here to listen to the CEO rule of the week

Whether you have three, thirteen, or thirty employees, every business has a culture.  Either you create the culture of your company or the culture will create itself.

Here’s a tip:  Every year in your strategic planning make sure to review the company’s vision, core values, and mission with the managers who are participating.  Spend some time emphasizing the importance of reviewing the elements of culture with the entire company team and make a plan for regular review during the year.  Frequency of review could be as simple as once a month during staff meetings.  More frequent reviews could easily be done during one on one coaching sessions and would create the perfect opportunity to reinforce the company’s vision, core values, and mission.  All of this matters because, CEOs, if we don’t create our company culture, our company culture will create itself.

This has been your CEO Rule of the Week.  I am Ruben Estrada.  Your Next Move                                                                        Click here to listen to the CEO Rule of the Week