It’s Really Pretty Simple…
July 23, 2009
A senior employee communicates the overall mission of the coffee shop to a new employee to help her understand what her job is all about.
Many organizations spend a lot of time and effort crafting articulate vision statements and detailed employee manuals. Sometimes, however, a simple statement of purpose can go a lot farther in determining the direction of your organization.
On a recent trip to Anchorage, Alaska, I was able to save the client money on airfare by flying in on a Saturday. That gave me time on Sunday afternoon to sit in a coffee shop and work on my upcoming book.
I spent about four hours in the coffee shop (you would be surprised how much I can write when I have a triple café mocha in my system) and got to observe the various customers as they came and went.
During the afternoon, a young woman entered the store, put on an apron, and took her place behind the bakery counter. It was obvious that she was a new employee. Fortunately, she picked up the routine quickly, and I overheard her confide to one of the more senior employees: “It’s my first day here; I hope I’m doing everything right…”
He reassured her, “It’s really pretty simple – people come in, and we help them!”
I suppose you could view this answer as oversimplistic, or even glib, but I was impressed by the ease with which the senior employee was able to communicate the overall mission of the coffee shop.
Is the mission of your organization clear enough that it can be expressed in a single sentence? Is it concise enough that a new employee could grasp it immediately?
Take a minute now and think about the overall mission of your organization. Then jot it down on a piece of paper, using only one or two sentences and post it on your computer. When the demands of work get overwhelming or even confusing, look at your mission statement. This simple statement of purpose can help you refocus your efforts and understand what your organization is truly all about.
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