Good morning and
welcome to Morning Cereal.
Hey, good morning.
It's Thursday everybody and we're
cruising into the back
half of this week with today's
calendar being a perfect blend of sweet,
salty and a little
dash of reflection here.
So first up, National
Peanut Butter Cookie Day.
It's a classic treat that's nostalgic and
grandma would
definitely approve of that one.
Then there's National Jerky Day Today.
That's a shout out to all the road trips
and camping snacks that
kept us going strong in
the 80s and the 90s.
And really today for that matter.
But if you're feeling more civically
minded today, it's also
Democracy Day and Peace
Day.
So while you're munching on those cookies
and the jerky, take a
moment to appreciate
the freedoms and the peace this country
has worked so hard to possess.
All right, well, our quote today is from
someone who knows about
fighting to overthrow the
evil Galactic Empire,
our very own Han Solo.
Well, actually Harrison Ford, who said,
quote, "You have to have
the darkness for the dawn
to come," end quote.
And it's a great reminder that even the
toughest times can lead
to brighter beginnings.
Well, today's news, facts and
birthdays are for June 12th.
We don't have to go that far back.
We're only starting in 1981 when Raiders
of the Lost Ark, that's the first Indiana
Jones film, it was directed by a somewhat
known Steven Spielberg
at the time and starring
Harrison Ford from Star Wars with the
story by George Lucas.
Well, it premiered on this date.
Then in 1987 on this date, President
Reagan, he famously told
the Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev to, quote, "Tear
down this wall" in Berlin.
Then on this date in 1990, Mariah Carey
released her debut album, Mariah Carey.
Then moving up to 1994, this was the day
that Nicole Brown
Simpson and Ron Goldman were
murdered in Los Angeles,
sparking the O.J. Simpson trial.
Then in 1997 on this date, Batman and
Robin debuted because
apparently neon bat nipples
were the future.
Then finally in 2010 on this date, the
FIFA World Cup opened in South Africa.
It was the first time the tournament was
held on that continent.
Well, happy birthday to you.
Today is your birthday.
You share a birthday with Dave Franco.
He's an actor and he's the younger
brother of James Franco.
Well, he's 39 today.
Ben, do you remember this name?
Kendra Wilkinson?
She's a personality, former Playboy model
that was on TV all the time.
Well, she's 39 today.
Then the late George H.W. Bush, he was
the 41st president of
the United States and he
served in World War II.
Well, he was born on this date in 1924.
Then the number one song on this date
back in 2001 was "Lady
Marmalade" by Christina
Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Maya and Pink.
You remember this
powerhouse collaboration.
They brought together four of the era's
biggest voices for the
Moulin Rouge soundtrack.
Great little musical movie, by the way.
Well, the unforgettable music video mixed
burlesque glitz with that Y2K kind of pop
swagger and the huge vocals made it a
defining hit of the early 2000s.
Well, in today's book review, we're going
to hit part two of
habit two, which by the
way, we're almost done with.
This is the last sub-chapter before we
move on to habit three,
but this sub-chapter is
organizational mission statements.
As you know, we're in Stephen R. Covey's
"The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People."
In this sub-chapter, Covey is extending
his mission statement
concept beyond the individual,
which we've talked about, and beyond the
family, which we talked
about yesterday, showing
how the mission statement concept can
apply to organizations,
whether that's a business,
a nonprofit, or even
a neighborhood group.
Okay, Covey writes, "An organizational
mission statement, one
that truly reflects the deep
shared visions and values of everyone
within that organization.
It creates a great unity
and a tremendous commitment."
In other words, a mission statement isn't
just a plaque on the
wall, it's the collective
heartbeat of the group.
Covey argues that these statements should
be co-created, just like the family ones,
by everyone involved, not
handed down from the top.
The process itself, just like with the
family, can foster
collaboration, trust, and get people
to buy into it, which helps the teams
move from fragmented
efforts to a unified purpose.
Covey says, "When people are involved in
the process, they feel ownership.
They become committed to the vision and
the values they help to shape."
So Covey also points out that an
effective organizational
mission statement is built
on principles, right?
Those timeless truths that endure through
challenges and change.
As Covey says, "Principles are deep,
fundamental truths, classic truths,
generic common denominators."
We've talked a lot about them.
But by grounding an organization in
principles rather than in
personalities or trends, it
becomes more adaptable and resilient.
So here, Covey warns that without a clear
mission statement, organizations can lose
focus and end up just being reactive,
constantly putting out fires
instead of building something
that can endure.
But with a shared vision, he says,
"People can move together
with a purpose and creativity,
confident that they're
heading in the right direction."
Okay, here's your takeaway.
In an age of constant change, an
organizational mission
statement provides a steady anchor.
It reminds everyone why they're there and
what they're working towards.
So whether you're running a business or
you're part of a team,
take some time to revisit
or create your shared mission statement.
Because when everybody's pulling in the
same direction, you don't
just work better, you thrive.
Okay, well, that's a wrap
for today's Morning Serial.
Now go out there, live your mission,
whether it's fighting for
our democracy and our peace,
or if it's just
devouring peanut butter cookies.
Thanks for listening today.
We'll see you back here tomorrow.
And as always, have a fantastic day.
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It'll be a good time, I promise.
Thanks again for listening.
Have a fantastic day and
we'll see you tomorrow.