Mission Statements are Hammer Pants

I was at a business conference not long ago when someone asked about Mission Statements. The facilitator said something about them being so 1990’s. Almost everyone in the room laughed a little and nodded. “Oops”, I thought. I’m less business-y in a lot of ways than these folks and thought they were a staple. Timeless like a nice white button down. Apparently, Mission Statements are Hammer Pants.

The New Mission Statements

So what can we use to guide us in business? The facilitators next words were music to my ACT-loving ears: Values. I want to walk you through an exercise that explores not only your “Why” but also creates a system you can vet business decisions through. It’s a way to ground yourself in your business. Ready?

1. When you think about yourself, your brand, your business, what do you want people to think about you?
2. What feels natural?
3. What are you willing to model as much of the time as possible?
4. Hone this list to 5-10 values.
5. Flesh them out.
6. Visit with them frequently.

Values

I’ll share what my assistant, Michelle, and I came up with for Abundance. Feel free to use anything that resonates for you. We read our values at the beginning of each of our weekly meetings. If you have a team, I highly recommend you come up with these together. We care about the success of all therapists. Whether or not they ever become Abundance clients. We practice compassion. When people are upset by something we respond compassionately. We recognize that people are in a vulnerable position as they start their practices. If they aren’t their best selves, we can hold space for that. We get things done. We are efficient. We are clear on our tasks and complete them on time. We are ambitious. We aren’t afraid to sell. We know these services change lives. We leave room for our clients' fear and inspire action. We don’t rush the process but we also don’t rest on our laurels. We celebrate our successes. Each success is discussed as a team whether it’s someone joining group or a client’s practice filling up. We save our “thank you’s” and “atta girls.” We do hard things. We stretch ourselves. We know we are capable. We delegate as needed. We recognize when more help is required. We are authentic. We are going to be imperfect and that’s ok. We invite authenticity from others. We refuse to pretend like we have it all figured out. We don’t expect anyone else to have it all figured out. We celebrate who we are. We celebrate who they are. What are some of your values as a business? Let us know in the comments! P.S. Did you listen to the podcasts I was on last week? On Selling the Couch I'm chatting with the always-awesome Melvin Varghese about the necessity of Saying No In Your Practice. I know when you're starting out you may feel like you need to say "yes" to everything. Here's my reasoning for setting boundaries and only taking the folks you want to work with (and how it'll build your business faster and better). Check it out! On Practice of the Practice I've teamed up with Joe Sanok and Jane Carter to chat about the developmental stages of private practice. Awkward Middle Schooler stage, Mistake-Filled High Schooler Stage, Learning-Your-Limits in College Stage and beyond!   Allison Puryear is an LCSW with a nearly diagnosable obsession with business development. She has started practices in three different states and wants you to know that building a private practice is shockingly doable when you have a plan and support. After retiring her individual consultation services, she opened the Abundance Party, where you can get practice-building help for the cost of a copay. You can download a free private practice checklist to make sure you have your ducks in a row, get weekly private practice tips, listen to the podcast, hop into the free Facebook Group. Allison is all about helping you gain the confidence and tools you need to succeed.