The importance of sharing your vision

Jason Murphy,
Director of Family Services,
Sunset Memorial Park

As a manager, your responsibility as a leader is very important and is sometimes easy to overlook. That responsibility is to share your vision of the future of your company with your staff. We all get busy with our everyday routines and get caught up in the whirlwind. But, great leaders make the time to share their vision with their staff.

Why is this important? Because your staff needs direction. Your staff needs to know where you want them to go. If someone has no guidance and no goals to shoot for, then they may never know if their work is meeting or exceeding your expectations. How can we improve on this in our own organizations?

• Set both short-term and long-term goals individually and as a group. It’s easy to throw out a long term goal, but it’s much more difficult to establish a plan to get there. That’s why it is so important to set smaller, short-term goals that lead to your ultimate goal or your long-term goal. These short-term goals are easier for your staff to refer back to, and will give them quicker feedback on whether or not they are on track to reach their long-term goal.  
• Conduct mini employee reviews throughout the year. At times, managers may notice poor performance, but choose not to correct the issue at that point in time. Rather, they wait until an annual review to unload all of the employee’s mistakes. This leaves the employee feeling discouraged and worried about their performance. Touch base with your employee’s on a regular basis to review their progress and make any adjustments that are needed. This may ensure you to stay on track to your long-term goal. Plus, your employee will feel encouraged along the way because they feel supported. 

If you want the best results, then it is up to you to create an environment that can breed the results you desire. Communicate your vision with your staff and refer to it on a consistent basis. It is your job to make sure that everyone stays on track and keeps the organization's vision in sight.

This article originally appeared in Modern Memorialization, Trigard Memorials' weekly electronic newsletter featuring information for the funeral industry. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.trigard.com/thursdays.