Implement your equine practice mission statement

MISSION STATEMENTS REALLY DO WORK. DON'T believe me? Here's proof: Two years ago business consulting firm Kinetic Wisdom examined the U.S. companies with the highest five-year revenue growth. What did they find? Forty-nine of the top 50 companies use a mission statement to guide their operations. In "Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It" in the May issue, I emphasized the importance of mission statements, their definition and purpose, and the process for creating your own.

Unfortunately, too many people see the conclusion of the creation process as the conclusion of the whole project. One out of three employees say their company isn't living up to its values, according to Discovery Surveys. Sound familiar? Here's our mission, everyone. In living color. On the wall. Nice frame. If you leave your mission statement frozen behind glass, that energy is going to dissipate and your mission's relevance to daily practice will evaporate right along with it.

You put too much work into creating the perfect statement to just leave it hanging there. Admire it for a moment, but then drag it off the wall and put it to work. You used a plan to create it, and you'll need a plan for using it, too. Returning to a "concept, process, and tools" approach will help get you going again. Let's get started.

The concept

Make your mission ubiquitous.

We've all had the experience of walking into a business and quickly getting an impression of how things work and what to expect. We say we get "a sense" of the place because we can almost feel its mission with our physical senses. This may sound mysterious, but it isn't. We're talking about atmosphere: a multitude of small things that leave you with an impression of the organization's identity. To create your practice's atmosphere, you need a message that's more than persuasive—it must also be pervasive.

To keep your mission alive, you need to apply it everywhere. It'll never grow any legs if you save it for meetings or drag it out only when you face a serious problem. Tie it into the activities that make up business as usual. Use a "viral" approach. If you want your mission in the very air of your practice, you need to spread it around by referring to it often and in a variety of subtle ways. Which brings us to the process.

The process

Show others how they're involved.

Even if your practice objectives are clear, employees might not understand how their work fits in. Training can make an enormous difference here because the best educational programs don't just teach skills—they address the ideas and reasoning behind the skills and how they apply to the larger objective. When team members understand how one person's job fits into another's and into the practice as a whole, they feel included and informed, something studies cite over and over as a prime factor in job satisfaction.

Show others how you're involved.

Practice owners, managers, and associate doctors, you in particular set the tone for a shared mission statement. There's no shortage of experts reminding you to lead by example and to "walk the talk." Unfortunately, your good example may not be enough to keep others similarly inspired. If team members view your dedication as a personality trait rather than a reflection of your practice values, they'll undoubtedly admire you but employees probably won't feel a strong ripple effect of motivation.

Still, don't stop "walking" your mission statement. Just add a bit of narrative so others understand the story your "walk" tells. A bit of thoughtful "talk" along the way ties your actions to the bigger picture and reveals the mission living within your example. You don't need to launch into long-winded lectures about why you're doing something or what it means. More often it's the little things that stick and become part of the atmosphere. Let's look at two examples, one involving client service and another regarding patient care.

Example one: Your employees know you want charges entered before you call clients whose horses are hospitalized. Team members may assume it's just part of the collection policy, but that's not the whole story. You're consistent about this protocol because keeping balances current protects clients from unpleasant surprises and helps them weigh their options throughout their horses' care. The protocol demonstrates your commitment to client service. That extra bit of information seems like a small thing, but it puts the "rule" in a whole different light.

Example two: Pretend you're a new technician in a busy hospital. You're going about your work when you notice a doctor standing quietly outside a stall. The patient is a foal that's been on antibiotics for a few days; the mare is in the stall as well. The doctor checked the foal earlier and you've attended to its medications. It seems to be getting along fine, so you wonder why the doctor is standing there. The doctor leaves and returns a short time later. After a few minutes he says, almost as an afterthought, "Let's withhold the grain on that mare and foal tonight." Then he's gone. Before he heads home, he's back again to walk through the hospital and look carefully at the foal—and all the other patients, too. He sets a wonderful example for diligence and he clearly cares about what he's doing. But, well ... what is he doing?

Run that scene again, only this time the doctor says, "Come look at this." You walk over and stand next to him, not sure what you're looking at. After a minute he says, "See how the foal shifts from one back foot to another every now and again?" It's not pronounced, but yes, you see it. "I call it toe-tapping," he says. "The mare's bag isn't tight, but the baby's not as bright as he was this morning." OK, now you're putting it together: the antibiotics, the risk of diarrhea. The foal swishes its tail and shifts again and now you both nod a little. As the doctor leaves, he says, "That's the thing with foals. You have to watch them because they can go bad on you fast." He asks you to pull the grain and you immediately understand why.

In the first scenario the doctor led by example when he took the time to observe the foal himself, but he didn't connect his actions to the technician's role or to the hospital's core objectives. In the second scenario, by simply inviting the technician to look with him, he was able to share his thought process and add meaning to the care the technician would provide. In this short, fairly casual exchange, the doctor opened up a dialogue with the technician. He encouraged her to think about—and watch—the foal, and he communicated the hospital's focus on diligent medical care. He gave his actions a context, and where there's context, even the smallest actions can be tied to a larger purpose.

When you share your thoughts, you reveal how you think. And how you think is what underlies your practice's identity—its mission. Think out loud a little more, explain what you're doing, and share your ideas and beliefs. Tell your stories. When employees get a glimpse into your core—your mission—they're better equipped to take action in a way that reflects your practice's goals.

Tools

Use what you already have.

When team members are new to the practice, your mission statement serves as an introduction. It helps them get off to the right start. They'll pick up on the atmosphere quickly, and the mission statement will serve as an ongoing reference. So keep your mission statement visible. Incorporate it into your key documents and keep it accessible. Display it in your reception area, and print it in your employee handbook, training materials, practice brochures, newsletter, letterhead, and educational handouts. And, of course, post it on your Web site and feature it on your business cards.

Creating a living, breathing mission isn't impossible. You've already done the hard part by hammering out your statement. If you make a conscious effort to highlight your mission statement and put it to use, following it will become a natural habit for you and your team.

Tracey O'Driscoll-Packer

Tracey O'Driscoll-Packer is an equine management consultant based in Pismo Beach, Calif. Send questions or comments to ve@advanstar.com