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Sections I


If you haven't done so already, it is time to develop a strong statement that clearly summarizes your company's main beliefs and goals. An effective mission statement answers these four questions:

  1. What do we do?

  2. How do we do it?

  3. For whom do we do it?

  4. What value do we offer?

Your company's mission statement should not be a copy of any other statement. Forget overdone words and phrases that everyone else uses – such as "visionary," "world-class," "cutting edge" and "outstanding" --and boil it down to what makes your company, well, your company.

A mission statement should reflect the unique character and objectives of your organization in just a sentence or two. Take time to think about what your firms stands for. What philosophy do you want your employees to keep in mind?

After developing your mission statement, the next step is to include a company overview, including your key officers and staff members and a brief history of your company. You may have already drafted this information for your company website's About Us page. but for your manual, keep your staff members, particularly your new hires in mind.

What do you want them to know about you and the founding of your company? By sharing your story, you can go a long way in building company loyalty.

Zappos feels its company history and philosophy are so important that it offers a four-week course on it for new employees. At the end of the course, these new hires are offered $2,000 to quit. Many of them decide to stay.

Just as you did with your mission statement, use facts, not superlatives in writing your company story. Let your background, your service, and your products speak for themselves.

Now it's time to brainstorm a list of what headings or sections your manual should include. To help you get started, here are a few suggestions:

Organization chart. This chart shows who reports to whom in the company.

Hiring Practices. This section includes information on how you select new staff and may also include termination guidelines for the firing of employees.


Job descriptions. This section of the manual will outline the role of employees and how their positions fit into the overall organization. The description should include duties, decision-making authority, and supervisory responsibilities.

Personnel policies. Depending on your organization, this section gives details on hours, salary, vacation time, sick leave, benefits, and retirement.

Conduct and Behavior. This section addresses issues of honesty (theft), of appearance, and of job performance. It also details what constitutes misconduct and how misconduct is handled. These policies may regard substance abuse, smoking, sexual harassment, and workplace violence.

Health and Safety. Depending on the appropriate national and state regulations for your area, this section relates clear guidelines for safe behavior on the job, including the safe use of equipment and supplies.



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