Course Corrections

by Mark McClanahan

Mission and vision statements are staples in organizations. These are essential tools for motivating and inspiring people and in the best of cases are woven into everything a company does.

Like a foundation, mission and vision statements remain rooted and steadfast. They serve as an everlasting beacon guiding a company’s direction. And as powerful as these statements are, sometimes they are not enough to handle course corrections when significant obstacles present themselves to a business.

A method I recently used to adjust direction in our operations was to develop themes for the company to use in the new year. With themes, one can keep the team’s attention on specific adjustments necessary to get things back on track.

We chose three themes for 2015, each tailored to the obstacles we faced in 2014. Our themes were alignment, world-class teamwork and focus.  

Alignment was necessary to reduce friction and ensure optimal performance across the team.

World-class teamwork was pinpointed as something our clients and our employees expect from us.

And focus was chosen to make sure we avoided shiny objects. After identifying themes, establishing them is another matter. We started with the leadership team by having in-depth discussions on each theme until it was well-understood.

The next step was to spread it across the organization. We kicked off our themes via company meeting and then focused a healthy portion of our time together drilling down into one theme. The other two themes will be given the same attention in subsequent meetings.
Moving forward, it’s my responsibility to encourage regular use of these themes just as we do with our mission and vision statements.

Need a course correction? Try using the thematic approach.

Mark McClanahan (mmcclanahan@callmosby.com or 314.909.1800) is the chief operating officer at Mosby Building Arts.