Does your organization have a clear mission (purpose) and core values? Are people in the organization held accountable for behaving in ways that are aligned with the mission and values?
Traditionally faith-based organizations have had a clear sense of their mission and core values.
Now non faith-based organizations are discovering the many benefits of being clear on the reason why the organization exists and what values motivate people to fulfill that mission.
Of course it is not enough just to state the mission and vales. The organization (and the people working in the organization) will only benefit if the mission and values are integrated into the life of the organization. This means that people are held accountable by virtue of how they live the values on a daily basis.
There has been a lot written about organizational mission and values but one of the most interesting approaches to this work comes from Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.
In their book, “The Power of Full Engagement”, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz state that a clear mission and core values are THE source of energy and power in an organization.
They provide a list of Organizational Energy Dynamics which I’ve partially included here:
- A corporation (for profit or not for profit) is simply a reservoir of potential energy that can be recruited in the service of an intended MISSION.
- Just as every cell in the human body is important to the overall health and vitality of the body, so every individual is important to the overall health and vitality of the corporate body.
- The most important organizational resource is ENERGY.
- In order for an organization to optimize its potential, four separate but related forms of energy must be recruited in the service of the corporate MISSION: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
- Because energy in the corporate body is depleted from use, organizational energy expenditure must be BALANCED with energy recovery.
- Organizational energy capacity increases as individuals increase their collective capacity.
- A SHARED SENSE OF CORPORATE PURPOSE, GROUNDED IN UNIVERSAL VALUES, IS THE HIGHEST OCTANE SOURCE OF FUEL FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ACTION.
- Great leaders are experts in mobilizing and focusing all of the energy resources in the corporate body in the service of the corporate mission.
The book is easy to read, well researched and full of practical examples of how both individuals and organizations have benefited by getting in touch with their mission/purpose and values.
Happy Reading!
Lesley
