28 / UNDERSTANDING YOURSELFDeveloping your personal
mission statement
Defining your future
Your personal mission statement spells
out your managerial philosophy. It defines
the type of manager you want to be (your
character), what you want to accomplish
(your contributions), and what principles
guide your behavior (your values). It
provides you with the vision and values
to direct your managerial life—the basis
for setting long- and short-term goals,
and how best to deploy your time.Setting out your philosophy
Make sure that your personal mission
statement is an accurate reflection of
your values, goals, and aspirations forA personal mission statement provides you with the long-term vision
and motivation to manage yourself and others in your team according to
your own values. It also allows you to establish your purpose and goals
as a manager and sets a benchmark for self-evaluation.LEARN FROM
SETBACKS
Things will not always work
out as you have planned.
When you face setbacks,
be honest with yourself
about what happened and
why, and think carefully
about whether you need
to reevaluate your goals.Tip
EVALUATE PROGRESS
Continually evaluate your
performance against your
mission statement. When
things do not work out, be
honest with yourself about why.SEE THE FUTURE
Develop a vision of what it will
be like when you achieve your
goals. Your vision of a desirable
future can be a powerful
motivating force.success. A personal statement might
read: “My career goals are to effectively
manage my team to achieve respect
and knowledge, to use my talents as
a manager to help others, and to play
an active role in this organization.”
Another individual’s statement might
have a very different focus: “As a manager
in this creative firm, I want to establish
a fault-free, self perpetuating learning
environment.” Reevaluate your statement
on a regular basis—annually, at least—to
ensure that it still describes your overall
vision for your future as a manager.US_028-029_Developing_Mission_Statement.indd 28 30/05/16 3:00 pm