How many of you have a mission statement for your work? Not a company one, but a personal one? Stephen Covey encouraged us to do this years ago, exhorting us to find that sweet spot where our personal mission statements and corporate mission statements come together.

I believe that the most important corporate mission statement involves creating a great customer or client experience. We live in an “experience economy”, in which nothing is more important. In today’s world, products and services are fungible – it’s the experience that provides a company’s “degree of uniqueness.” This allows businesses to point to a “true North”, as Covey would say. When we’re asking ourselves which is the right strategy or if we’re doing the right thing, we can just go back to our mission statement and ask “is this helping us create a great customer experience – or is it doing something else?”

How does this dovetail with your personal mission statement. My mission is to help people benefit personally and professionally by using effective human resource practices. That might be your mission, as well. It might be to generate the most profitable, engaged workforce ever, or to improve the lives of all the people who you touch every day.

Whatever your mission, don’t shy away from it. Embrace, brand, market, and live up to it. Bring others into the fold. Remember, none of us can fulfill our personal mission statement without the help of others. HR That Works members should take a look at the Vision, Mission, Goals worksheet in the Miscellaneous section of the Personnel Forms. If you don’t have access to the program and you’d like a copy by e-mail, contact me at don@hrthatworks.com.