There are certain areas near the Equator, in both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, called The Doldrums. Sometimes, the trade winds within these areas just stop blowing for weeks at a time and any sailing vessel which ventures into The Doldrums will get caught there, unable to move until the winds resume once again. How many small business owners look at their company these days and feel just like the captain of one of those sailing ships trapped for the duration in The Doldrums? How many of these owners fail to realize that they have the power to "fill their company's sails" and move forward under their own power?
Why is it that even in difficult economic times, some companies continue to prosper and do well? Do these "survivors" know some secret that the rest of us don't know? Not really. In fact, some business owners succeed where others falter because they are still focusing on the same core goals that motivated them to start their businesses in the first place.
A successful company sets out to achieve much more than enjoying a healthy bottom line. In itself, that is certainly a legitimate goal. However,. A great company sets out to make a difference for its clients and customers... to make a real difference in the world. That might translate to helping customers to be healthier, to be more fit, to become better educated, to eradicating a terrible disease, to be able to get to work, for children to enjoy a clean and safe park or to be able to buy food that is safe and okay to eat.
Every company will define that set of core goals in the mission statement it writes for itself. That statement should constantly remind the company (and not it's customers) what the company wants to a accomplish. The mission statement is the best expression of what the company stands for and defines how the company wants to be perceived by it's customers. The most powerful mission statements challenge the business owner and his/her employees to stand out from the crowd, provide excellent goods and services and to set an outstanding example for others to follow. The wind that fills their sails is generated by an exhilarating sense that, every day when they go to work, they are doing something that really matters in the larger scheme of things and that they are changing the world about themselves for the better.
A great example: Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, in a conversation with Ernie Manouse last night on PBS, explained one factor that has helped to make his company so successful. A central goal of Amazon.com's mission is to become the "Earth's most customer-centric company." Beyond that, because Amazon.com enjoys such large prominence in the business community, he hopes that his company will serve as a role model for other companies to emulate that value in their business models. Always remembering that has infused his company with a powerful sense of purpose and has kept his company on track, enabling it to enjoy extraordinary growth, according to Mr. Bezos.
When the business environment gets bumpy, what happens to a company whose owner and employees continue to be fiercely empowered by the clearly defined company goals? At minimum, it survives when other companies will falter or fail. In the best case, it will enjoy even spectacular growth, because everyone in the company continues to fully believe in their mission. In their minds, their individual job descriptions go far beyond that of being a salesman, office worker, truck driver or stocker. For them, failure is not an acceptable option, because they know that what they are doing is important and even critical to the larger success of the community they serve.
Among the most important responsibilities of a company owner, few rank higher than making certain that every member of a company team understands the core mission of that company. Every member of the team must be made to understand that his or her contributions are critical to the company's success. That means whether one sweeps the floors or one makes executive decisions, every man and woman on the team must be able to clearly identify and explain the most important goals that drive that company to greatness. Being able to do that will enable for them to feel invested in the success of the company for which they work.
The very survival of that company will ultimately be riding on the fact that they can do that... or they can't. In this matter, the buck stops at the owner's desk.
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