Ever feel overwhelmed by a decision you need to make?
Want to know a way to make the process simpler?
I met with a client recently who was confused and looking for advice. We were early in the coaching process, so the deeper self-awareness work hadn’t been done yet.
Two Decisions
She had two decisions that couldn’t wait:
- whether to let a key employee go
- whether to partner with another company on a joint marketing effort
Both were significant…both carried risk…and both felt heavy.
I immediately jumped ahead in the coaching process and asked about her company’s mission statement.
She made an attempt but admitted she did not have it memorized.
After pulling up her website we found it buried at the bottom of the “About” page. It was filled with lofty, feel-good language but lacked clarity. It didn’t guide anything.
I asked if she had a personal mission statement. She did not but was intrigued at the idea. So, we went to work.
Decision Filter
Mission statements provide clarity. More importantly, they act as a decision filter.
They don’t eliminate hard choices but make them more simple.
Decision fatigue is real. Unmade decisions create stress…and when stress becomes distress, leaders tend to:
- shut down and delay
- make quick, reactive decisions
- fall into analysis paralysis
None of these tendencies lead to great leadership.
I had her start by listing her strengths, weaknesses and values. From there, we worked toward identity…who she is and what she wants to be about every day.
This isn’t a vision statement. It’s not aspirational. It’s practical.
Long mission statements don’t work. If you can’t remember it, you won’t use it. I encouraged her to keep it to ten words or less.
First Draft
She created a strong first draft that gave us enough clarity to revisit her company’s mission.
She reduced seven values down to three…the human brain fights to remember more than three things at once.
Then she rebuilt the company mission statement from scratch…something usable, not just admirable. Now we had something we could apply.
The mission statement made it clear that the key employee was not aligned with the direction of the company and at times was working against it. That didn’t make the decision easy. But it made it clear.
For the potential marketing partner, she reviewed their mission statement, and it closely aligned with her newly clarified direction…a possible fit. There was still due diligence to do but now she had a filter to quickly eliminate opportunities that look good but don’t fit.
Without a clear mission statement:
- every decision feels heavy
- leaders try to please everyone
- stress multiplies and can become distress
With a clear mission statement:
- decisions become simpler
- priorities become clearer
- pressure becomes more manageable
When pressure rises, most leaders start looking outward for answers when they should be looking inward.
What About You?
Do you have a clear mission statement at work…one you actually use in meetings and decisions?
What about personally? When you are clear on what drives you, decisions can still be tough…but much more simple.
How clear is your mission?
