Lint Agility Services LLC: Mission and Core Value Statements
There I was…
sitting in a new-to-me coffee shop enjoying my second latte of the afternoon. My dog, Patrick, laying down on the shop bench next to me snoozing away. His muffled, adorable snores and the gentle hustle and bustle of the coffee shop belying my inner turmoil as I tapped my pen on the blank notebook sheet before me, wrestling to answer a single question. The same question my friends and family have been asking me since I started Lint Agility Services LLC in October 2021:
“So… what does your business do exactly?”
Now, I have my elevator pitch canned response about “optimizing the flow of value for companies” and a basic review of what “business agility” means. To which my loved ones politely smile and nod their heads saying, “Well that sounds important.” To me, this means I probably didn't explain very well, or, business agility is so niche of a skillset that they translated my response into, “She tells businesses what they are doing wrong”. Which isn’t completely inaccurate, but I digress…
One of the problems all businesses and consultants in the Business Agility space have is the fact that our rhetoric, goals, principles, and frameworks all sit on a high shelf in a C-Suite office. We do not make 1-minute TikToks on Agile or Agility mindset shifts. Instead, we present hour-long presentations on small aspects of the many frameworks we are experts in. Debating amongst ourselves about this vs. that term in order to convey the deepest meaning.
So there I sat and struggled on how to distill my coaching business’s mission and core values into just a few sentences. I wanted to make sure each word I used and the terms I switched out meant the right thing, for me and for my business. Would I be driven by these values? Do they inspire greatness? What mission would drive me every day to help my clients become more successful?
Completing this important exercise by putting pen to paper allowed me to see past the obscure and niche nature of my career. I was better able to focus on the goals I want to achieve and what I want Lint Agility Services LLC to represent in the industry, regardless of whether or not it is the most profitable plan. My business’s values will define how the industry needs to change and what business agility can represent for thousands of companies and millions of people.
So here it is, distilled for your viewing pleasure, from the pages of my coffee-stained notebook:
I will attempt to not over-explain, as that defeats the purpose of a Mission and Values statement. I will say that my leap into being a small business owner meant that these values and this mission were always a driving force in my life and in my mind. Putting it to paper was a truly worthwhile experience, which provided more context for when I advise my clients to do the same for their business.
How you shape your culture, business, and every aspect of the ways that you intend to challenge your industry starts with an inspirational and lofty Mission followed by challenging, yet essential Values. By doing this, you will continue to pull you and your teams into challenging spaces, ultimately leading to the success and achievement of value for your customers and clients.
