Make mission statements meaningful to every employee

Mission statements can be powerful tools. Or they can be merely words that become meaningless over time. Often mission statements are created in a vacuum at the home office, and while the statement is distributed to all properties, there’s no follow through.

One of the most effective things top management can do is to demonstrate to the properties that mission statements and the accompanying core values are essential every day on the job, for everyone from the dishwasher to the president of the company. We did just that at Hostmark Hospitality Group.

In 2008 we revisited what our mission was and re-identified our core beliefs. At the time we had a great mission statement, but nobody could remember it.

We changed it into something that was memorable and would reach each and every associate.

The new mission statement was introduced to the organization in early 2009. It was critical for us that top management understood what we were trying to accomplish and helped us deliver the message to all of our properties. The president, in fact, co-facilitates a workshop.

The first step of the workshop is to introduce the concept. While by now, properties have seen the mission statement, it’s important to take it a step further.

Ask associates to think about how they live their core beliefs every day, from hiring and recruiting to day-to-day running of the hotels. It’s also important to identify how personal beliefs might affect and filter how they assess situations and prevent them from demonstrating the company’s core beliefs.

Storytelling is an important part of this kind of workshop. This practice brings abstract concepts into focus and helps associates identify how the words in the mission statement have real meaning on the job. Stories evoke our emotions and help us share experiences with others.

Finally, it’s essential to talk about the importance of recognition. Encourage participants to focus on the positive and recognize everyone’s contribution.
How everyone interacts with their coworkers and guests is important. Every interaction leaves an impression.