Surveying with a Purpose
The leadership at McSteen, along with the input of each of their team members recently undertook the process of developing a new Purpose Statement to help guide the company into what lies ahead. We recently had the opportunity to talk with Molly Woeste, President of McSteen about the new Purpose Statement, how they discovered it, and what it means moving forward.
Securing the Land where we Live, Work and Play
Safeguarding real estate through our unparalleled delivery of a customer-crafted experience and innovation that propels us beyond boundaries. Our workplace is more than just a collection of individuals; it’s a family that values each member. Here, autonomy and flexibility are not just perks; they are the pillars of a culture that encourages growth, creativity, and a balanced life.
A Q+A with Molly Woeste
Why did the leadership team at McSteen decide that now was the right time to re-imagine the Purpose Statement?
We’re undergoing a lot of significant changes as a business. For the first time in company history, we have a full roster on our leadership team, rather than our previously flat organizational structure. There are now seven of us at the table guiding, forging, and defining what the future of McSteen looks like. It’s incredibly exciting. New ideas are being brought to the table daily. Ideas from the leadership team, but also things that are filtering up from all members of our team through management; we’re drinking it all in. Or should I say chugging it all in? It’s fast-paced and incredibly powerful and although we are remarkably proud of all that we have accomplished, the leadership team lives and breathes a “continuous improvement” mindset. I think that has our whole team excited too.
All that said, we needed to formalize our Purpose. Really make it a pillar in the organization. The single thing that every decision is vetted against. Are we fulfilling our Purpose with this decision? With so many decisions, improvements, and changes happening, we couldn’t afford for our Purpose Statement to be “just words”. We needed it to be a centralizing force around which everything in our business revolves. And we’re passionate about living it. Not just to bring authenticity to our work, but also for the success we’re confident it will bring through a cohesive pursuit of safeguarding real estate through innovation and service by empowering each member of our team.
“It is refreshing working for a company that has put such an effort into writing a purpose statement and then actually lives and breathes it. Every decision big or small we refer to our statement and make sure we are still adhering to the McSteen values.”
Ryan Snezek, PS
Director of Surveying
What excites you most about the new Purpose Statement?
I love that it’s aligning (and energizing!) our leadership team. I’ve never seen a group of leaders more dedicated to uplifting their teams to inspire individual growth, knowing that when we grow together, we grow as a company and our clients benefit. Nothing has changed there. But what has changed is that we now have the exact and very specific words that hold us accountable for relentlessly pursuing our growth goals. If it doesn’t align with purpose, we put it aside. No questions asked. Having a concrete statement in writing has taken our already unified leadership team and made us fiercely aligned.
Imagine the impact of seven passionate, driven, highly capable leaders all driving the business forward with the same purpose. That’s what excites me. And we’re just getting started.
“I believe an organization’s purpose statement serves as a foundational element of the company’s identity and contributes to its overall success. My favorite part in the development of our purpose statement was involving our entire team. I truly enjoyed watching our staff work together to define what they value about McSteen. Because we created this together, our purpose statement embodies the values of our organization.”
Melissa Gutowitz
HR & Employee Experience Manager
Tell us about the process that went into developing, refining, and embracing the new Purpose Statement.
This is really the highlight. How we got to our Purpose. The leadership team did a deep dive. We had endless discussions. We consulted outside resources. But then we took a step back. We had a draft version, but we wanted it to be uniquely and authentically “McSteen”. We have a robust team of both new and veteran employees – those who have been with the company for over 25 years, those who joined within the last 12 months, plus everyone in between.
So, we enlisted our team. At our annual company meeting, we spent the majority of the time discussing and identifying company values, making sure every member, new or veteran, had a voice. And what amazed us was that the values presented were so clearly identified – regardless of tenure with McSteen.
“Being a part of writing the new purpose statement here at McSteen was a very rewarding experience. Knowing that I had a part in writing a statement that signifies who we are and what we stand for was beyond a privilege.”
Ryan Snezek, PS
Director of Surveying
With the feedback of our people, the leadership team went back to drafting and continued to tinker, tweak, and blend all our previous work with that of our team’s core values and landed with the Purpose we are so proud to share today.
How does the leadership team plan to ensure that the Purpose Statement becomes embedded in the culture and processes at McSteen?
This is a continuously evolving conversation. But as mentioned, the biggest thing is vetting our decisions against the Purpose Statement. With so many growth goals set, and the decisions that revolve around that, it’s been a great launch pad for making sure the Purpose Statement is at the forefront.
But beyond that, we’re starting to integrate the Purpose Statement into our department meetings and challenging our team to identify where they see the Purpose in action, as well as where they don’t – so we can make changes.
We’re also developing our employee recognition program solely around identifying members of our team who exemplify the company’s Purpose and values. We’re doing this at a peer-to-peer nomination level and a management-to-direct report level.
“I am excited to incorporate our purpose statement into our recognition program. By tying recognition to the purpose statement, employees receive acknowledgment for their contributions in a way that goes beyond just meeting targets or completing tasks. It highlights the significance of their work in fulfilling the company’s broader mission and making a positive impact.”
Melissa Gutowitz
HR & Employee Experience Manager
And finally, keeping our Purpose forefront with our clients. Through our website, company documents and communications, and personal interactions.
More to come! We’ve already identified a few potential new roles, that we do not currently have in place at the company that the leadership team is working to define and budget for so that we can more fully and deliberately live our Purpose as it relates to safeguarding real estate through innovation and elevating our customer-crafted experience.
What’s next for McSteen?
How much time do you have? At a high level, we’re expanding; both in Ohio and beyond, with plans to open an Indianapolis office later this year. We’ve made 5 hires already this year, with another 10-12 planned.
We also have some incredibly valuable talent on our team that we’re beginning to put through development training to further their skills in their current role and/or begin to grow their skills in new areas. The team is growing not only in size but also in skill set and breadth of knowledge. And the leadership team is growing, learning, and stretching too – we’re invested in professional development from new hires, to seasoned team members, to the executive level team.
We can’t be the best partner for our clients until we are the best (or bettering!) versions of ourselves. So that’s our focus this year and always.
“Teamwork! The whole company had a part in creating this statement”
Marcus Petersen
Drafting Manager, Mortgage Department
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