By Susan Saldibar

How useless is your mission statement? 

  • Does it include phrases like “to be the premier provider”?
  • Is it heavy on “what” and light on “why”?
  • Was it created around a boardroom table?
  • Are its edges curling up on a bulletin board?
  • Does it roll its eyes?

Then it’s useless. 

Actually, it’s worse than useless. It’s probably damaging your community.

Strong words, but I’ve been there, and useless mission statements drive me nuts. Especially in this industry, where we need strong, driving missions that everyone can get behind. 

So I am the first to give props to organizations like Aegis Therapies (a Foresight partner) who not only get the importance of mission but live it.  

That said, I was curious when they told me they were changing it. Because no one is busier than Aegis these days. Wellness, once a nice-to-have term, is now alive and kicking. Their services are more in demand than ever because every prospective resident wants to know what you’re going to do to keep healthy. Aegis is the secret sauce of many a senior living community. Odds are you’ll find someone from their team inside almost every level of senior care. 

So why did Aegis change its mission statement? 

Turns out they had a great reason. The idea to adjust their mission statement was driven by president and CEO Martha Schram, with the understanding that as the health care landscape evolves, so do the companies and people who care for others.

Aegis developed the new mission with the understanding that as a business grows and changes, it is important to reexamine the values of the organization. To identify the mission, the leadership team looked closely at why Aegis exists, and the diverse populations it serves. 

… And a great mission statement was the result.

“Inspire change, impact lives, and innovate to drive success.” There’s a lot to like about this. 

With their new mission statement, they’ve managed to hit on three key drivers of success in this industry:

  • Change
  • Impact 
  • Innovate 

What if your employees loved your mission and lived it? 

It’s one thing to create a great mission statement. But imagine how transformative it would be if everyone from the front desk to the corner office really believed in it. 

  • You’d attract more recruits, since young workers want missions they can relate to. 
  • Residents would feel the impact of a team that lives its mission.
  • Sales would be proud of the mission, and prospects would feel it.
  • Everyone would feel more purposeful and elevated, every day.

Bottom line: There is a reason we have mission statements. What’s yours? 

To learn more about how Aegis inspires, impacts, and innovates, visit www.aegistherapies.com.