As a college student or recent graduate, you’re probably giving your future career a great deal of thought. And I’m guessing you’re interested in a career you want to enjoy. You’ll want to like what do you do because you’re going to do it a lot! According to statistics from the research firm Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, the average American works 1,788 hours per year. Over 40 years, that could add up to over 71,000 hours! Take a moment to let that staggering number sink in. You may spend more time working than sleeping, eating or participating in your favorite recreational activities throughout your life!
While you want to enjoy what you do, I’m also guessing you want to enjoy the company you work for, as you might be there for a very long time. Longevity for employees is now increasing. Recent statistics show that employees stay at their jobs an average of 4.6 years. This is why it’s so important to know exactly what you want to do before you start doing it. Beginning a career in a field you love and sticking with it will make all the difference in your future. But in order to enjoy a career you love, you need something vitally important: your voice.
No, I’m not referring to the popular singing show on TV. I’m referring to a combination of your personal mission, vision and values. All successful companies must have a voice. A voice shapes the culture of an organization and serves as a guide to employees and management. Organizations with a well thought-out voice have direction, purpose and achievement in the workplace. These organizations know where they want to be (the big picture) and do the appropriate things (the details) to get there. Every step of the way, their employees enthusiastically project that voice to customers, vendors and their local communities. Without a voice, high-powered organizations will find it impossible to align their goals and objectives to create success.
So just what does a personal mission, vision and values statement entail? Let’s dig in a bit.
A mission statement for a company is a concise, meaningful sentence or two that represents the purpose of the organization. Mission statements are often action-based, explaining how the company’s objectives serve both employees and customers. Here are a few examples:
LinkedIn: “To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
Amazon: “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.”
Nike: “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
A personal mission statement is similar. It defines who you are as a person and identifies your purpose, whether that’s on the job or simply in life. It explains where you see yourself in the future, how you plan to pursue that purpose and why it matters so much to you. Like an organizational mission statement, it should be clear and concise – a soundbite or quick elevator pitch, if you will. Here is a sample personal mission statement:
“To use my writing skills to inspire and educate others around the world to make a change.”
An organizational vision differs a bit from a mission statement. A vision statement is a company’s “one day” statement, or the goal a company strives to embody or see in its consumers. A company’s vision statement is essentially the world the company envisions for the future, while the mission statement defines the strategy for reaching that vision. Here’s an example:
Tesla: “To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”
Lastly, an organizational value statement defines what is important to a company and its employees and discusses the company’s most essential values. Here is an example:
“We believe food has the power to change the world. We do it by being real.”
Similarly, a personal value statement defines what values are most important to YOU. Here is an example:
“To be a respectable employee, friend and member of the community and make a positive impact on others by being honest, fair and reliable.”
These three important aspects—your mission, vision and values – all create your voice. In essence, you are sharing with the world WHO you are, WHAT you believe and WHERE you want to go. No two people share the exact same voice. Your voice is unique only to YOU. By fine tuning this voice, you will impress future employers when they see you know who you are and what you want. If this sounds intimidating, fret not. Begin by grabbing a piece of scratch paper and writing out your thoughts. You might begin by scribbling a few adjectives that describe you best. Then think about what you value most. Is it integrity? Reliability? Honesty? Lastly, what is it you really want, and how do you plan to get there? Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Don’t worry if you don’t have it all figured out. You are young, and sometimes plans change. But by perfecting your unique voice, you will set yourself apart from the rest.
Once you come up with your mission, vision and values statement, start reciting it to your friends and loved ones. Say it with confidence and a smile. By the time you land an interview at your desired company, you’ll have it down pat!
By being clear about who you are, what you believe and where you want to go, you’ll be sure to stay on track and pursue the career of your dreams!
For more on your voice, check out College to Career today!
Integrate — Creating Successful Training and Development
In our final example of integration of MVVs into HR practices, we will explore Training and Development (T&D). In the past 25 years, I have watched T&D dwindle to an almost nonexistent state in most companies. I could write a book on the impact of not investing in the development of your people, but you might find it boring. It is what it is, and it won’t change all that soon, unfortunately. But, as leaders of organizations, we must decide how we are going to right ourselves and guide our employees to work in alignment with our Missions, strive for our Visions and operate within our organizational Values.
Here are a few steps you can take to ensure you are addressing the T&D needs of your organization without going overboard:
Discover what is needed
Define what needs to be addressed
Seek the resources to accomplish the T&D
Initiate the T&D
Follow up to ensure it was worth the investment
Discover what is needed
Do some basic fact-finding and discover the gaps within your organization. Simply going through a job description review project can help you discover what skills and abilities are lacking in your team. Summarize these by category and you will start to discover trends across your organization. Take it even further and include a development aspect to your performance review process, and document what development is needed by each of your employees. When you couple this with rewriting your company’s job descriptions, you will take it to a greater, more desirable level of detail.
Define what needs to be addressed
Without a good outline of what gap(s) needs to be closed, you have the potential to be scattered all over the place. Take the list of items that you captured during your assessment stage and better define what is needed. Employees stating they need ‘communication training” is, frankly, too broad. Do they need public speaking classes? Would they benefit from e-mail etiquette guidelines? Or is it interpersonal conflict resolution training that is needed? Just saying we need “communication training” paints in overly broad strokes.
Seek the resources to accomplish the T&D
I am not generally an advocate of online training. While it may be good for some, I do not believe it is effective for the majority of employees. My experiences have demonstrated that people learn when there is real interaction. There is more than one way to develop and train an employee. For years, it has been customary to send people to seminars. That just does not happen much anymore.
Think outside the box.
A few years back, I was supporting a company that tragically allowed many immigrants to work without the benefit of English as a Second Language training for several years. When I discovered this, I was frankly outraged that these folks were never given the resources to better themselves. When the gap was discovered, I identified a resource, hiring a gentleman who had recently returned from Asia and who had been immersed in this same immigrant culture. He developed a curriculum to deliver and help these folks speak English for less than $1,500. Now, that is what building a ‘Kingdom Minded” organization is about. Ignoring the needs of your employees is not.
Follow up to ensure it was worth the investment
Another creative solution to a problem such as this is tasking an employee to become a trainer within an organization to deliver a topic that is relevant to the need that was discovered. One organization was lacking financial management skills within the company’s leadership. The American Management Association’s program, Finance for Non-Financial Managers, was delivered by an HR leader. Doing it in this fashion saved the company tens of thousands of dollars by avoiding sending managers out to seminars and also allowing the customization of the materials.
Was it worth the investment? The CEO said it was.
The CEO in this case witnessed an increase in the attention to detail of certain executives, an embrace of principles not so easily understood before, but it also gave him insight as to who were the “A” players versus who were the “C” players.
You’re probably wondering by now how this all fits into the integration of your organization’s Training and Development and its relation to the MVVs of the organization. I believe it dovetails, such as in the example of the Asian immigrant employees.
When you honor your employees by developing them, they will honor you.
When you honor your employees by training them, they will honor you. And when God is reflected in your heart and the way you respect your employees by not only paying them correctly and protecting them with benefits, but truly caring about their development, your employees will see Christ in you.
So don’t look the other way when it comes to T&D. Your employees will see you in a whole different way.
We value your contribution. What training and development programs have you worked with that were successful? Why were they successful?
Wondering what is all behind the process of developing a High Performance Organization? Wonder no more. Check out our Infographic for those who learn by seeing.
If your organization is having an identity crisis. You may be the last to know. The clues aren’t usually obvious, but you may sense something is wrong.
Do you spot any of these patterns emerging?
More and more employees are leaving
Quality and/or performance is trending downward
Your organization is missing deadlines
Your clients or customers are complaining more
It’s getting harder and harder to find good talent
These issues are not random blips on the landscape. They reveal deeper problems, those below the surface. Greater attention to structure and organization may be needed, but there is a core issue at stake: Organizational Identity.
An identity crisis may happen for a number of reasons. Some reasons are inevitable. Some are regrettable. But, many times an identity crisis starts from what are, initially, positive changes. What is positive at first, like growth or increased capabilities, can morph into quagmire without attention. This drag causes confusion and does not just hinder your workers but will inevitably affect your customers and outside contacts, too.
An identity crisis will likely coincide with these circumstances:
A change in key management, ownership, or structure
A new technology replacing an old way of doing things
Expansion into a new territory or demographic
Offering new services
Expansion and increased public visibility
New or changing partnerships, associations, or clients
Organizations, if they last long enough, experience seasons where renovating identity is crucial. This is a good thing. What your organization stands for or why it exists may seem obvious to you, but it needs routine upkeep to ensure everyone shares a cohesive vision. Creating and cementing your organization’s Mission, Vision, and Values are essential to new and continued success.
Organizational Identityanswers the questions:
Who are we?
Why do we exist?
How do we share that vision beyond ourselves?
Core values and identity should be found together—in a partnership with owners and employees. It should be built from the ground up to forge something solid and genuine. Identity can never be reduced to platitudes or window dressing. It shouldn’t stop at a new logo and updated policies. It must be the foundational way that your group functions, together and with the outside world
Organizations like charity: Water, Starbucks, and The Coca-Cola Company, for example, have all crystallized their organizational identity for us. But, more important, they have all reinvented or re-clarified themselves as times have changed and found continued success. With some effort or outside expertise, you can usher in higher performance for your organization, too.
So, what problems have you seen that were evident of an identity crisis? Help us and our community of readers to learn from your experiences
Mark Griffin is founder and Chief Consultant at In His Name HR LLC. He has over 20 years of HR experience. Follow In HIS Name HR on Facebook, Twitterand LinkedIn.
The third ingredient of MVVs is values, specifically core values. A core value, from a human resources perspective, reflects the heart of an organization. It pumps the blood throughout; it makes an organization tick. It defines the organization and its culture and what it takes pride in doing. It is how vendors and customers view an organization’s behavior toward them. It is what employees tell their neighbors and friends when asked what it is like to work where they do. It is why your students choose your college. It is the behaviors your staff and instructors exhibit as they
In the secular world an organization focused on quality might state its core value as: We do not compromise on quality. Quality is job one. An organization valuing individual responsibility would want to say: We believe in holding ourselves accountable. We deliver on our promises and we always endeavor to use good judgment. Efficiency, honesty, customer service, ownership—these and many more reflect the kinds of core values that high-performing organizations embody.
In order to enjoy growth and prosperity and achieve high performance, an organization must first look inward and thoughtfully address these three critical aspects of running an organization. Those that invest in a well-developed and bought-in mission, vision, and values will reap dividends far beyond those that do not.
As leaders at Christian colleges and Universities, we take a Biblical/Kingdom approach to our Mission, Vision and Values creation. Often times it is best to cite a bible verse to stir commitment and affirmation as to why the value is important.
In doing research we discovered Ozark Christian College’s Values Statement. Enjoy reviewing and reflecting how your Values statement might be updated or recast to create excitement on your campus.
CORE VALUES
THE WORD OF CHRIST TAUGHT IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST (COLOSSIANS 1:28)
We believe the Bible is the true and authoritative Word of God and our final rule of faith and practice. We want to teach God’s Word faithfully, in harmony with God’s Spirit.
NOT TO BE SERVED BUT TO SERVE (MARK 10:45)
We are a servant of the church, training vocational and volunteer servant leaders for the worldwide work of ministry. It is the commitment of teachers, staff and students that we will love and serve others.
SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE (EPHESIANS 4:15)
We want to honor God by fulfilling our personal responsibility to be honest and caring with one another.
TRUSTING IN THE POWER OF GOD AND SEEKING THE GLORY OF GOD (1 CORINTHIANS 4:20 & ISAIAH 42:8)
We are absolutely and utterly dependent upon God. The work is too great for human resources. We pursue excellence, knowing all glory is God’s and any accomplishment is of him.
ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE, TRUST AND FREEDOM (ROMANS 15:7 & 1 PETER 4:10)
We accept one another as imperfect people saved by the grace of God. Mutual trust, based on our commitment to the Lord, guides our relationships. We desire each person to have freedom to develop God-given gifts.
RESTORING BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY (JOHN 17:21)
We are committed to teaching and practicing biblical Christianity, believing it is central to unity among believers and evangelization of the world.
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH (JOHN 4:23-24)
We foster spiritual health through genuine worship, both personal and public. Worship is for the glory of God, exhortation from his Word, and edification of the community of faith.
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In His Name HR helps organizations build high performance Human Resources programs. Visit them at In HIS Name HR or e-mail them here.
Mark A. Griffin is the founder and chief consultant of In His Name HR LLC. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.
MARK A. GRIFFIN is the founder and chief consultant of In His Name HR LLC. Follow him on Facebook at InHISNameHR or Twitter @InHISNameHR. In His Name HR helps organizations build HR programs based on MVV. Contact them for more information at (InHISNameHR.com) or e-mail them at HR@InHISNameHR.com.
CLA Dallas 2017: Clarify your organization’s leadership strength by attending Mark Griffin’s CLA Conference workshop “Managing Employees to Success.” April 4–6, 2017.
_______
In His Name HR helps organizations build high performance Human Resources programs. Visit them at In HIS Name HR or e-mail them here.
Mark A. Griffin is the founder and chief consultant of In His Name HR LLC. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.
You don’t want to miss this unique and powerful event.
17 Business Owners
Offering Incredible Business Insight
15-Minute Presentations Each
Ted Talks Format with Brief Question And Answer Following
Come hear Mark A. Griffin deliver in 15 minutes, “How to Build High Performance Organizations”.
The purpose of this gathering is to provide a platform for Spirit-led business leaders in Central Pennsylvania to speak about Kingdom business principles. This will “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Please visit this Symposium Speaker Page for information on speakers and topics. Want to know what time each speaker presents? The speaker schedule is located here.
Mark A. Griffin is the founder and chief consultant of In HIS Name HR LLC, a human resources outsourcing and career coaching firm created to help companies pilot the complex issues of managing HR.
As a human resources professional with 20-plus years of experience in both public (Quaker Oats Company, Kodak Inc., Merck Inc.) and private companies (Woolrich, Conestoga Wood Specialties, Valco Companies Inc.), Mark is passionate about building high performance workplaces through utilizing best practices while leading companies with strong values.
While serving in the United States Air Force, Mark received his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Administration from Saint Leo University. He earned his MBA from Bloomsburg University while interning for Congressmen Kanjorski as a Military Liaison during the first Gulf War. Mark has completed several executive education programs at the University of Michigan and is a certified practitioner of the Myers Briggs Type Instrument MBTI®.
Mark and his wife, Gail, have two adult children, and will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this June. They attend LCBC Church. Mark has traveled the world coaching leaders on “Business as Mission” in Eastern Europe, India, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Speaker and accomplished HR consultant, Mark A. Griffin gives Christian leaders encouragement in building values-led organizations during these difficult economic times.
Do you want to take your organization to the next level? Now more than ever, organizational leadership needs to create a platform to help employees succeed. Come and learn how to do this by implementing processes that will lead your organization to High Performance.
Leading an organization with clarity in Mission, Vision and, most importantly, Values makes good organizational leadership sense. We call organizations that do that successfully, “High Performance Organizations,” or simply HPO’s.
The HPO experience:
Incredible organizational growth
Builds great HR integration
Less employee morale issues
Increased donor support
Lower absenteeism
Higher quality project delivery
Better perceptions from your community and recipients of services
Mark A. Griffin is the founder and chief consultant of In HIS Name HR LLC, a human resources outsourcing and career coaching firm created to help companies pilot the complex issues of managing HR.
As a human resources professional with 20-plus years of experience in both public (Quaker Oats Company, Kodak Inc., Merck Inc.) and private companies (Woolrich, Conestoga Wood Specialties, Valco Companies Inc.), Mark is passionate about building high performance workplaces through utilizing best practices while leading companies with strong values.
While serving in the United States Air Force, Mark received his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Administration from Saint Leo University. He earned his MBA from Bloomsburg University while interning for Congressmen Kanjorski as a Military Liaison during the first Gulf War. Mark has completed several executive education programs at the University of Michigan and is a certified practitioner of the Myers Briggs Type Instrument MBTI®.
Mark and his wife, Gail, have two adult children, and will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this June. They attend LCBC Church. Mark has traveled the world coaching leaders on “Business as Mission” in Eastern Europe, India, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Speaker and accomplished HR consultant, Mark A. Griffin gives Christian leaders encouragement in building values-led organizations during these difficult economic times.
Give your employees hope and a bright future in this upside down world.
Tremendous Life Books.com presents:
How To Build “High Performance” Organizations
Now more than ever, organizational leadership needs to create a platform to help employees succeed. Come and learn how to do this by implementing processes that will lead your organization to High Performance.
Leading an organization with clarity in Mission, Vision and, most importantly, Values makes good business sense. We call organizations that do that successfully, “High Performance Organizations,” or simply HPO’s.
Mark A. Griffin is the founder and chief consultant of In HIS Name HR LLC, a human resources outsourcing and career coaching firm created to help companies pilot the complex issues of managing HR.
As a human resources professional with 20-plus years of experience in both public (Quaker Oats Company, Kodak Inc., Merck Inc.) and private companies (Woolrich, Conestoga Wood Specialties, Valco Companies Inc.), Mark is passionate about building high performance workplaces through utilizing best practices while leading companies with strong values.
While serving in the United States Air Force, Mark received his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Administration from Saint Leo University. He earned his MBA from Bloomsburg University while interning for Congressmen Kanjorski as a Military Liaison during the first Gulf War. Mark has completed several executive education programs at the University of Michigan and is a certified practitioner of the Myers Briggs Type Instrument MBTI®.
Mark and his wife, Gail, have two adult children, and recently celebrated their twenty-ninth wedding anniversary. They attend LCBC Church. Mark has traveled the world coaching leaders on “Buiness as Mission” in Eastern Europe and India and the Dominican Republic.
A recently published author (How to Build “Kingdom-Minded” Organizations) , speaker and accomplished HR consultant, Mark A. Griffin gives Christian leaders encouragement in building values-led organizations during these difficult economic times.
Give your employees hope and a bright future in this upside down world.
Now more than ever, organizational leadership needs to create a platform to help employees succeed. Come and learn how to do this by implementing processes that will lead your organization to High Performance.
Leading an organization with clarity in Mission, Vision and, most importantly, Values makes good business sense. We call organizations that do that successfully, “High Performance Organizations,” or simply HPO’s.
Mark A. Griffin is the founder and chief consultant of In HIS Name HR LLC, a human resources outsourcing and career coaching firm created to help companies pilot the complex issues of managing HR.
As a human resources professional with 20-plus years of experience in both public (Quaker Oats Company, Kodak Inc., Merck Inc.) and private companies (Woolrich, Conestoga Wood Specialties, Valco Companies Inc.), Mark is passionate about building high performance workplaces through utilizing best practices while leading companies with strong values.
While serving in the United States Air Force, Mark received his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources Administration from Saint Leo University. He earned his MBA from Bloomsburg University while interning for Congressmen Kanjorski as a Military Liaison during the first Gulf War. Mark has completed several executive education programs at the University of Michigan and is a certified practitioner of the Myers Briggs Type Instrument MBTI®.
