Mike Gentile has seen and heard it all before when it comes to mission statements.
“So many companies put mission statements on the wall and expect everyone to memorize it and live it and breathe it,” says Gentile, president and CEO at Independent Stationers Group Inc. “You really never know whether that’s propaganda or if it’s a CEO living in an ivory tower and not knowing exactly what the culture is and what the beliefs are in the organization.”
He works hard to make sure his mission is more than just some decoration on the wall. People need a cause or a reason to commit to a mission that is laid in front of them and Gentile has one.
“We get up every day and we’re helping small businesses compete against big business. That is a culture that has just permeated the entire organization.”
The independent office supply dealer has members ranging in size from $1 million in annual sales to locations that generate more than $80 million in sales each year. Overall revenue totaled $188 million in 2008.
Gentile’s job is to help the dealers and their collective 6,000 employees by providing the programs and services that they can’t provide on their own. But that doesn’t mean everyone has to do everything the same way.
“Too many times, we define success when we can get everything going in the same direction,” Gentile says. “At times, that may not be the best strategy. What really is the best strategy is that we’re able to achieve our objectives and goals. If we have to develop and execute different tactics to get there based on various constituency or customer needs, that’s OK.”
The key is to set a common target to aim for and then let your people, the ones you’ve entrusted with your brand, to figure out the best way to hit it. But the only way to find true success is to keep your people motivated to achieve the goals that are set for them.
