The mission and vision statements are considered important for the future and the success of an organization. Before going further, I would like to explain the difference between the mission and vision statements. A mission statement communicates the purpose of the organization and “becomes the driving force of everything the health care organization does and does not do” (Book) A vision statement summarizes the goals and objectives for the future and " reflects the aspirations of the institution in a way that inspires commitment." (book)
While repeatedly restating the organization's mission and vision to its employees, these statements give the direction how to perform and inspire, how to give the best for the greatest care for the customers. Because of the complexities related to nature of organization, leaders and managers of the healthcare organization need to be able to influence the success of their company by adding new strategic methods, new information and communication technologies, training and advancement of employees, updating policies and procedures, as well as maintaining the high morals and standards following the mission and vision of the organization.
The employees at Chicago Proton Center (Center) are proud about their company and they work with a passion for the vulnerable cancer patients. For instance, a co-worker said to me "the purpose of the organization makes me feel my job is important "(Interview). Chicago Proton Center is my workplace and is a joint venture Northwestern Memorial Health Care (NMH) that provides radiation proton therapy to cancer patients. A segment of the organization's mission is the following "We are an organization of caregivers who aspire to consistently provide high-quality care, cost-effectiveness and patient satisfaction" (website. Furthermore, the vision statement is the following "Our vision is to be a nationally recognized academic, integrated health system recognized for providing excellent clinical quality and outcomes, and highly skilled physicians and employees." (website)Also, the value statements describe how employee desire to behave within an organization. The Center's values include patient first, integrity, excellence, and teamwork (website).The manager of the IT department said to me that any organization needs to connect its values first, then move to establishing its vision, and mission flows from vision. And I believe, in some degree, the Center has this environment where the values are practiced by the employees and we do not have to pull the mission statement out of a drawer.
As mentioned above, by regularly bringing in discussion the mission, vision, and values statements on the training sessions and other settings, the leadership of the Center seeks to stimulate the conversation about the core purpose of the organization as well as what they do and for whom. The IT manager also stated in our conversation that employees are what makes the organization great, and it is only through their commitment, enthusiasm, and devotion an organization can flourish.
Additionally, I believe that leadership plays a vital role on how the employees live up to the mission and vision of their organization as the authors state that “the leadership in an organization represents the power to inspire others to achieve and surpass the goals set forth in the mission statement.” (book) Some leaders at the Center ensure that employees understand and commit to the mission and vision statements of the organization which drives and motivate them to act on the listed values of the organization. Because some employee at the Center feel valued and trusted, they perform their job with greater attention to details and they are happy with work and workplace.
In conclusion, all employees including the leadership need to align with the core principles of an organization. Even though we cannot remember the mission, vision and values statements word by word, we need to remember their essence and to live the values by behaviors. In the Center, some employees are appreciated for their good job performance, and they have freedom and confidence to act in the interest of the patients. However, there are leaders in the Center that employees look up are not living these statements, and these employees soon will lose the motivation, meaning and start feeling disengaged. Above all, leaders and employee of the Center need to be devoted and committed to the values of the organization in order to build a successful organization.
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