What does it mean to have a company mission?
A lot of time and energy is spent by companies around the world, from large board rooms at multinational corporations to staff meetings at local small businesses, discussing the word "mission". Mission represents a set of core values that define you as a business, align the people in your organization towards a common goal, and most importantly set the bar for how those who work for you and with you will expect your business to conduct itself.
It is important not to confuse the values that you think your company should have with the values that represent its true, authentic self. Values are discovered and nurtured, not created. The values of veterinary healthcare businesses seem like they should be straightforward: to provide good healthcare to animals. However, it is not quite that simple. Every pet coming into a veterinary hospital also comes with a pet parent in tow who has expectations and needs to be addressed, and is treated by veterinary healthcare workers who have the same. At Associated Veterinary Partners we understand that we exist to serve all three of these parties involved in the process of delivering excellent veterinary care:
We advance the lives of pets, pet parents, and veterinary healthcare workers together.
Writing out a mission for your company is easy, proving that it is more than just words on paper is the challenge. "Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets." A mission-driven company must live their mission every day and in every action without compromise. The animals who come through the doors of our partner practices deserve an uncompromisingly high quality of care. The pet parents who entrust us with the care of their beloved pets deserve to be empowered to make good choices for their care. The veterinary healthcare workers who show up every day as heroes in scrubs deserve unwavering support and leadership who stands firmly in their corner. At AVP we aspire to do nothing less.
From Dzmitry and I at Associated Veterinary Partners, we wish you Happy Holidays and great New Year filled with many purrs and wagging tails!