Determining Your "Why"
Our roles may be as varied as the people who fill them, yet we are one Auxiliary family. What you do individually and what we do together matters. This is what it means to be a part of our team.
What is a "Why" Statement?
Writing our F&A- and Auxiliary-wide, departmental, and individual "why" statements assist us in determining purpose of what we do at work. It helps us understand why we exist as a department and how each of us makes it possible for the University to accomplish its mission. Our "why" statements are something to project outward to those we serve to help describe the contribution we provide as a department and as an individual as well as the impact we have on those around us.
Our "why" statements are different from our departmental vision statement and mission:
Vision Statement: Says what the organization wishes to be like in some years' time
Mission: Describes what business your organization is in, both now and projecting into the future, to provide focus for management and staff
"Why" Statement: Inspires your team to do good work for the organization and find a way to express the organization's impact on the lives of those you serve
Finance & Administration "Why" Statement
Finance & Administration exists to provide exceptional service and stewardship of the University of Georgia's financial, human and physical resources.
Auxiliary Services "Why" Statement
Auxiliary Services creates an extraordinary experience beyond measure by putting people first. Our team promotes student success beyond the classroom by providing for their dietary, transportation, parking, recreational, and educational needs. We build a sense of home, community, and belonging for all Bulldogs as their academic endeavors and accomplishments create a better tomorrow.
Dining Services "Why" Statement
Dining Services creates experiences that generate warmth, belonging, and success through exceptional food and service. As your home away from home, we nourish, support, and strengthen the Bulldog community while building Georgia traditions.
Departmental and Individual "Why" Statements
Know Your "Why"
Good organizations earn recognition for their products or services; great organizations earn recognition for the way they deliver those things. Once we understand why we exist as a department and how each of us make it possible for the University to accomplish its mission, we can each go the extra mile, communicate effectively, and collaborate to reach the best possible outcome.
A popular story of knowing your larger purpose is from when President John F. Kennedy was touring NASA headquarters in 1961. When JFK asked a janitor, who was mopping the floor, what he did at NASA, he replied, "I'm helping put a man on the moon!"
You can also watch this TED Talk to learn more about finding the "why" in what you do as an individual and an organization:
Examples of Individual "Why" Statements
"I use my strong sense of belief and empathy when working with other employees, other departments, parents or with students. This enables me to treat others the way I would like to be treated and ensures that each one is treated with equal importance and that they feel valued by our department as well as the University of Georgia as a whole."
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"I work for the University of Georgia so that students can fulfill their dreams of graduating from the University of Georgia!"
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"In a former life, I led a corporate office division. I loved my work — it was challenging and invigorating. I had amazing colleagues. But, something was missing. I started to wonder what I would later think, at the sunset of a 40+ year career, about how I spent my life's work. At the University of Georgia, we're feeding the hungry; we're curing disease and improving public health; we're helping small businesses succeed; we're helping those in poverty lift themselves up; we're educating the next generation of leaders; we're driving innovation and coming up with better solutions to the world's problems. It is a noble and aspirational mission. And, all members of the University community, from the President to the researchers to the instructors to those in entry level staff positions, are part of it. Together, we are all changing lives and changing the world. That is why I am driven to give a little more in everything we do."
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"I put myself in the customer's place and actually listen to their issues so that I can show them that we at the University of Georgia really do care about them as a person."
