Your Family, Your Mission

Your Family, Your Mission

For years, companies have developed mission statements that guide their decisions.  This statement provides a clear objective for what they do and why they do it.  It sums up their fundamental reason for being.   But a clearly defined mission may not be enough—there needs to be a core set of values that guide navigation towards the goal.  These values are the foundation of the company culture and reflect what’s truly important to the organization. 

For example, at Healthways our purpose is to be universally acclaimed for creating a healthier world – one person at a time.  And printed on the badge of every colleague are our values:

-  To trust and be trustworthy

-  Support each other to maximize success

-  Respect the value of those with whom we interact

-  Be responsible for individual commitments

-  Collaborate for best solutions

-  Pursue excellence in all of our endeavors

-  Strive for health in mind, body, and spirit

It’s this common purpose and set of values that unites and drives us.

This is where families can take a lesson from the boardroom.  Spending time defining your mission and values with your family can unite you with purpose too.  “A central finding of recent research is that parents should spend less time worrying about what they do wrong and more time focusing on what they do right. The family mission statement is a clear way to articulate what your family does right. It also creates a touchstone. When one of our daughters got into a spat with a classmate, we asked her which of our core values seemed to apply. "We bring people together?" she said. Suddenly we had a way into the conversation.” Says Bruce Feiler, author of the book The Secrets of Happy Families 

While your family probably has a good idea of what is important to your family, if you asked your kids what values matter most to you, do you know what they would they say?  

Spending time together defining values will help to unify your family around common goals.  And the process can be fun! Create a family retreat –whether it’s a picnic, camping excursion, or pajama party—and give each person the opportunity to share what’s important to them, answer questions their favorite things about your family, and talk about how they want to impact the world. Everyone should have an opportunity to contribute so they feel a sense of ownership over the final product. 

Once you agree on your mission and values, write them down and post them as a visual reminder for the family to see each day.  Live by them, use them to guide your decisions, and watch your family grow together with purpose.