3 Reasons You Need to Rewrite Your Mission Statement Today

Give your team purpose through a clear company mission and values.

Some people believe that company mission or vision statements and core values are corporate jargon without a real place in business, but nothing could be further from the truth.

But just like every other aspect of your business, you must be intentional about creating the guiding principles that give your business the focus and direction necessary to build a strong culture and winning brand.

Read on for three ways they can help drive your business forward, with a few tips and resources to get them right.

What is a mission statement?

A mission statement and core values are stated principles that define and communicate what a company stands for. When used correctly in a family entertainment or amusement facility, they become the foundation of your company’s internal culture and external service standards when interacting with guests.

No. 1: They give your team purpose.

One of the best ways to get everyone engaged and on the same page is to help them connect with the meaning behind their jobs. Family entertainment businesses help communities make memories, and the best venues help team members focus on that purpose every day. But it’s more than just giving them the right words to say; you have to teach them how and why what they’re doing matters.

I recently called a facility, and the salesperson answered the phone with, “Thanks for calling [XYZ Family Fun]. How can I make your day?” When I shared my excitement about how positively she answered the phone, she responded with, “oh, I don’t know. It’s just what we’re supposed to say. I don’t even notice anymore.” This is an example of missing the meaning behind the words. It’s not enough to ask, “how can I make your day?”  unless you’re connected to the idea that you’re in the business of making days exciting, fun, memorable, and of course, meaningful. So be sure when implementing any service mission or values, if you implement values, you help your team connect the dots between the values and how their work lives those values out every day.

No. 2: They provide clarity.

There are so many directions that you can take in this industry, and it can be challenging to build strategies around sales, marketing, and operations. Settling on a mission and values helps give your business a true north, something to work towards consistently. Once you define your values and key behaviors, they become the lens through which you make hiring, training, and managing decisions. Coaching conversations and accountability become easier, and your team can move in the same direction.

From a sales and marketing perspective, having a clear purpose and mission enables you to position your offerings to your audience with your organization’s purpose in mind. This helps you drive consistent messaging to establish a strong brand.

No. 3:  They encourage critical thinking.

If you’re a new operator, it makes sense to develop your mission and values in advance so that you can launch your organization with a strong sense of purpose from the start. But even if you’ve been in business a long time, you can still achieve the benefits of defining or redefining your purpose as a team.

It’s a good idea to involve team members in defining the key behaviors and actions that align with your purpose. Consider hosting a brainstorming session where you work with your team to determine what your service and teamwork behaviors look like – and what they don’t. This helps them internalize the desirable behaviors, connect to your purpose, and have a sense of ownership because they were involved in the development process. It also helps them build the critical thinking skills necessary to self-manage and coach each other while on the job, which in turn makes your team stronger.

Developing your mission and values can be tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. Many resources are available to help you design and implement your own mission and values at your facility. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Start With Why – book and TED Talk by author Simon Sinek
• How to show the world what you’re made of – The Edge: A CenterEdge Blog
• How to train and implement values and service mission – The Edge: A CenterEdge Blog
• Creating a Winning Mission and Vision Statement – Stay Paid podcast & blog

How do you define your company’s purpose? Share with us in the comments or on Twitter.