Veterinary hospitals that find a way to articulate and live the ‘mission’ of their work have happier teams, lower turnover, higher productivity, better medical outcomes, and create a more positive impact on their clients. Here’s how to get started.
The purpose of a written mission statement is to:
- Articulate the inspirational elements of what you do
- Provide a North Star for all planning and decision making
- Serve as a mediator for intra-office communications and interactions
- Lay a foundation for a company’s brand image
Examples of Great Mission Statements
Great mission statements are written in handy language. They are concise, written expressions of what you want to achieve so that all team members can readily recall and refer to them in the day-to-day. Great examples include (but shouldn’t be copied):
- University of Pittsburgh Medical: Every patient, every time.
- New York Presbyterian: Commit to sit.
- Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
- Patagonia: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
- Nike: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.
- Levi Strauss & Co.: People love our clothes and trust our company. We will market the most appealing and widely worn casual clothing in the world. We will clothe the world.
- Halow Tassava: We are a loyal friend, protector and pathfinder forward for you, your practice and the veterinary profession.
Mission Exercises for Veterinary Hospitals
Read through the list of exercises and choose one or two that you think you might find enjoyable to do. Do yourself a favor and genuinely commit the time to do the task thoughtfully.
- Take a picture: This is the one exercise that can be completed in the hustle and bustle of any given day. Invite all your team members to take out their phones and photograph images of what they believe is your mission statement playing out in real time within your practice. Later, assemble all the pictures into a slide presentation, play it for the staff, and ask everyone what they believe they see. Write the ideas down and use the list as a source for a written statement.
- Great Day At Work: Recall the last time you had a really great day at work. Ask yourself why it was genuinely enjoyable. Dig beyond any snarky answers that your mind might jump at (nothing died, nothing went wrong for a change, everyone showed up. Etc.) Should your mission embrace and pursue these outcomes more regularly?
- Create Three Lists: List everything you are good at, everything you enjoy doing, and every thing that gives you a sense of purpose. Don’t self edit, just write. Afterwards, look for common themes and write them down. Chances are that these themes are at the heart of what you should be doing.
- Recall a ‘Flow’ State: The things we are best at are the tasks that naturally flow out of us, that require the least amount of concentration and provide us the most satisfaction. Recall the last time you had a flow state and what it is you were doing.
- Meditate and Question: Use Deepak Chopra’s relaxation exercise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRMOxN_qcec. Afterwards, ask yourself ‘what your heart deeply desires and yearns to express and listen quietly for an honest response … don’t fixate on one response.’
- Envision Your Funeral: Your friends and family recall your strengths, your achievements, and tell those assembled why you were a great veterinarian. What do you hope that they say?
- Find Your Fears: Some believe that our true selves are intimidated by our potential power and that we create distracting fears to prevent us from achieving greatness. Meditate on the things that you are most afraid of, ask yourself why you are afraid, and then challenge your reasoning.
Get Help Writing a Mission Statement
Bash and Brenda are experienced at assisting veterinary hospital teams rediscover their purpose and direction and assistance with the cost may be fully supported by their strategic partners. Fill out this form and let’s get you and your practice team back on track.