Does anyone know?

The leadership team and I were discussing how to improve performance and grow the company. By all measurements, they were doing very well. At the same time, they felt there was even more they could do, and there was more success they could enjoy.

What's the point?

Many of my conversations with managers these days are addressing the question of purpose. What's the point of doing what we do? What's the purpose? Will that purpose resonate with the people I'm trying to attract to my team? Research seems clear that companies that have a strong mission and purpose attract better talent and have a high-performance culture.

Business News Daily had an article about company "mission statements." Here is what they say about mission statements:

The mission statement should be short yet resonate with both employees and those outside of the organization. A statement should express the organization's purpose in a way that inspires support and ongoing commitment. It is up to the mission statement to set the tone of the company and to outline concrete goals.

What's interesting is that when I asked if they had a strong company mission and purpose statement, they said they did. One leader shared it with me, and it was indeed a very powerful statement. Then I asked if everyone in the organization knew the mission and purpose statement? If I asked team members, would they have it memorized? After an awkward silence, we determined that they could do a better job ensuring that everyone knows the purpose and mission of the company.

Early in my selling career, I learned of a mission or purpose statement that encapsulated, for me, the true essence of a professional seller.

To identify, and then satisfy, the customers' needs profitably from the customer's point of view.

I loved the simplicity, the directness and the direction it gave me as I was launching a successful selling career.

At RAB, we teach the 7 Steps to Sales Success. In each step of a successful career, it's the focus on the customer and the passion to solve customer problems that makes a difference.

I adopted that mission/purpose statement early in my career. With the help of my mentor, I also added: "Think big, make big things happen." Those two sentences together provided a powerful purpose for me to be excited about every day.

In my experience, having a strong mission and purpose is critical to sustained successful performance.

Do you know your company's mission statement? Do you have a personal mission statement? If you don't, you are left to wonder, "what's the point" of doing what you are doing? We would love it if you would share your personal and/or company mission statement. Just click here.

Purpose = Passion. Passion = Performance.

Jeff Schmidt is SVP-Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can reach Jeff at jeff.Schmidt@Rab.com or follow him on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn.