The Employee Experience Advantage

CHAPTER 4Reason for Being

We've all heard of mission statements that typically set out to explain the purpose of the organization. Oftentimes they talk about being the market leader, providing shareholder value, delivering superior customer experience, or something else along these lines. Although these statements may talk about what the organization is trying to do, they don't go beyond that to make the leap from business to human. These statements or ideas do little to inspire employees (or anyone else for that matter) or to encourage action. Organizations that deliver amazing employee experiences transcend this basic concept of a mission statement by connecting what the organization does to the people who are actually affected. In other words, it answers the question “What impact does the organization have on the world and on the community around it?” This isn't about shareholder value, customer service, or profits, so you won't find any of these things mentioned. A great Reason for Being is also something that is unattainable, which forces the organization to keep thinking and dreaming big. Last, this needs to be something that rallies employees and ignites them; why should they care and why should they stand by you? You can see the four attributes of a Reason for Being in figure 4.1 below.

Figure 4.1 A Reason for Being

In a New York Times article titled “The Incalculable ...