Research shows that when we make a public declaration about our intentions we hold ourselves more accountable. No one wants to look like a fool by saying something and failing to deliver, right? As such, most businesses have a Mission Statement to declare their purpose, and most businesses try to remain accountable to that Mission Statement. Yawn.
We’ve all read a Mission Statement – and if we’ve read one, we’ve read them all. Our old Mission Statement at Jensen Eye Care was no different.
It was the typical length, used the typical verbiage, and although it was certainly true, not one of us felt particularly enthusiastic about it, and I doubt if any but the doctors could recite it off-the-cuff.
During our website renovation, the Jensen Team had many lively discussions about opportunities for improvement. One such discussion lead us to the emphatic decision that our Mission Statement had to go. Here are the three reasons why:
# 1: It Was Lukewarm
Our Mission Statement was lacking because it was fine. You read that correctly! Our Mission Statement said we were committed to you, we put quality first and we priced things right. (And we bet if you go to the website of any eye doctor you will read the exact same statement on their homepage.) It was obvious, it was lacking emotion and it was just blah. If it were a cup of herbal tea and you took a sip, you’d swallow it, but it wouldn’t do anything for you. We know Jensen Eye Care is better than “fine,” and we know that we feel much more strongly about you, your vision and your eye health than just “fine.” Lukewarm is icky.
# 2: It Was Self-Centered
Our Mission Statement was also lacking because it was written about us, for us, and it told you – our patients – what we wanted to do for you. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being centered on self as an individual adhering to a personal mission statement; but, we started thinking… shouldn’t Jensen Eye Care’s focus be the vision, eye health and experience of our patients? There is no “me, me, me” at Jensen Eye Care, so why would we want a Mission Statement that is all about us? We don’t.
# 3: It Was About The Destination, Not The Journey
Finally, our Mission Statement was lacking because it was a description of what things would look like when we were done. It defined the destination, without discussing what is so much more important to us: the journey. Your experience. The Jensen Team definitely cares about much more than just the end result, so a Mission Statement that mentions quality and pricing and our patients being able to see, but says nothing about our culture were not enough. Epic fail.
The Jensen Team knew our Mission Statement wasn’t worthy of us, or of you. We wanted our public declaration to provide more than just accountability. We wanted it to inspire, and we wanted it to invite our team, our suppliers and our patients to join us!
Engagement and enthusiasm run rampant here at Jensen Eye Care, so we were committed to coming up with something that expressed that – something both passionate and patient-focused.
Goodbye boring, one-sided Mission Statement.
Hello, dynamic and daring Core Values!
Please stay tuned for Part II of our series to learn how we developed our Core Values - and how you can, too!