Your Compass

For some organizations, their mission statements are simply words on a wall.

For others, their mission, vision, and values are their guiding force.

When employees and leaders find themselves in complicated circumstances, they can rely on these to light a path forward.

One of my colleagues at Rutland Regional described these as our compass.

In the everyday, we know how to carry out our work; but when we find ourselves at a crossroads – with a difficult decision to make – this compass can point the way.

Therefore, it is vital to thoughtfully define these foundational and strategic elements:

• The organizational mission delineates our reason for being. It describes what we do, for whom, and in what ways we are unique or differentiated.
• Our vision describes our aspirational future – what we are striving for as an organization.
• Whereas our values are our guiding principles. They describe how we – individually and collectively – carry out our work.

Organizational values are not the same as personal values.

The organization’s values set a framework for behaviors and norms.

When our personal values are similar to the organization’s values, we usually find a better fit for ourselves. When there is incongruence, we often experience tension.

I was working recently with a behavioral health agency in the Pacific Northwest. One of the directors was describing how the clarity of the organization’s mission, vision, and values has served the team he leads. He relayed that when they have found themselves working through a complex situation that these well-defined statements of organization’s mission, vision, and values have aided their decision-making process.

Profound, illuminating, meaningful.

Not shallow words on a plaque.

Another regional, community-based health organization has been working recently to revisit, refresh, and reframe their organizational values. For this organization, their well-articulated mission and vision are enduring. But their values had become stale.

The process of revitalizing their values has included many inputs:

• the customer perspective in terms of what customers need & expect from the organization
• the strategic perspective weaving in what is needed to consistently fulfill their mission and advance their vision
• the staff perspective, including what creates a thriving as well as inclusive work environment.

Synthesizing these various perspectives has led to a new set of vibrant and meaningful values to live by.

And behaviors and norms for each value describe what it looks like in action. Staff commit to embodying this in their work with each other and in service to clients.

Together, the mission, vision and values bring clarity and a means for greater alignment across programs, departments, and locations. They point the way.

If you’d like to receive these Inspirations in your inbox every other week, you can subscribe to Kathy’s Excellence Advantage Inspirations Newsletter.
Kathy Letendre, President and Founder of Letendre & Associates, advises organizations and leaders to create their excellence advantage.
Contact Kathy by phone or text at 802-779-4315 or via email.