The following is an excerpt from our Mission Statement that we feel appropriate to share with the Public and our prospective Clients.  We hope that you find this excerpt to be enlightening as to what we are all about.

PHILOSOPHICAL GOALS, DESIRES & STATEMENTS:

Again, the text in this section should be taken holistically.  Whereas the above text is very objective the below text becomes more subjective.  Never the less, the below text is as important to our Mission Statement as is the “rest of the text”.

General Business:

•  SERVICING THE CLIENT:  When a Client comes to us, that Client is expecting a faultless service so that he/she can accomplish a goal or end product.  Each Client that we secure is an “excellent” opportunity for us to “show our stuff” no matter how small or large the Project.  We have learned that Clients are not receptive to “excuses” no matter “whose fault it is”.  They expect us to manage the Project and handle the interferences in a Professional manner.  Typically, Projects involve a team consisting of Owner, Architect/Engineer, and Constructor.  We are expected to be the team leader, even in the case where the Constructor is the first contact made by the Owner and where we are working directly for the Constructor (as a Client).  Client expectations are high and we are in a position to meet those expectations.  If we simply look at each Client relationship and Project as an opportunity to obtain a “glowing” reference letter we will have “done our job.”  This “Attitude” should carry throughout our firm in every task we perform, no matter how trivial.  We should also remember that we also get referrals from parties that are circumstantially involved in our Projects such as (but not limited to) Contractors, Municipalities, Building Inspectors, etc., and we should “act accordingly”.  Our passion for excellence will keep our business growing.  We should recognize that, in addition to our personnel, our greatest business asset is our Clientele (past, present and future).
  

• SERVICING THE PROJECT:  All Projects, no matter how small, are an opportunity for us to provide the best design and service possible.  We should leverage this opportunity in a similar fashion to "Servicing the Client" (above).  Projects shall allow us the opportunity to maximize our creative energies while being cognizant of the Environmental Impact of our resulting Project.
  
  

• BUSINESS INCOME & GROWTH:  There is no question that there should be monetary rewards for our efforts which will contribute to profits and business growth.  Our “contribution” to a successful project is, sometimes, difficult for a client to measure.  Unfortunately, for the prospective Client and us, some Clients elect to select the Professional with the lowest fee.  Clients do not realize that the “low fee” Professional can actually cost them more money (on  the bottom line) than the Professional that quoted them a fair fee. If we are to continue to offer a high quality service we cannot put ourselves in a position to “low ball” our fees.  Low fees can, actually, be a disservice to the Client in that we will be forced to lower our quality standard which, in turn, can result in a less-than-desired end product and a dissatisfied Client.  True, we can offer the Client the scope of services needed for the Project and the scope of services can be less than a “full service”, but when we tailor our scope of services we must be sure that the Client understands fully what they are getting and not getting.  Additionally, the client should be made to understand the value (short and long term) of our services.   “Educating the Client” as to the value of our services and what these services entail should become part of our mission.

Personnel:  One of our greatest business assets is our personnel.  The following are some of the qualities considered important when hiring new employees and maintaining with our present staff.

• ATTITUDE:  We shall continue employment of personnel possessing a positive attitude.  We have learned, through past experience, that every single firm member must have a positive attitude and, if one person “goes negative” on us, we all suffer.  We, individually and as a group, must maintain our positive attitude and reinforce the same within and outside of our firm.
• INITIATIVE:  Every staff member is expected to initiate new and better ideas so our firm can continue to “keep up with the times”.
• ENTHUSIASM:  It’s really infectious.
• CREATIVITY:  It’s a lot what this profession is all about.
• EXCELLENCE:  Every staff member shall strive to put forth his or her most excellent effort.
• INDIVIDUALITY:  We, as a group, have to appreciate that we are individuals with different needs and approaches to problem solving.  There is no one-way to do anything and we have to be sensitive to the fact that individuality is as important as teamwork.  We can make individuality work to our advantage.
• SENSITIVITY:   to the needs of our Clientele, the firm and our own needs.
• SELF-MANAGEMENT:  We expect everyone to manage their time and efforts for the betterment of our firm and our Clients (Projects).
• TEAM WORK:  Our personnel shall work as a team internally and externally.
• SELF-CONFIDENCE:  without the, sometimes, associated arrogance.
• SELF-EDUCATION:  All of our firm members should realize that the learning (and growing) process never stops.  Continuing education is a must, whether that is through seminars or individual efforts.
• A SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT:  Individually and as a group we will strive to do our personal best to maintain a “sense of achievement”.
• MONETARY ENRICHMENT:  Every employee shall receive fair monetary compensation for his or her efforts.
• SENSE OF HUMOR:  This quality is ever so necessary in this rapidly growing Profession and to maintain intercommunication with members of this firm.
• SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT:  within and outside of our firm.  Our individual and group efforts should be spiritually uplifting within this firm.
• MORALITY:  This firm will never ask a member to do anything immoral or illegal.  Consequentially, we expect each individual to perpetuate a high standard of morality.
• BALANCE:  between the demands of our Clients, our firm and our personal lives.
• FUN:  If we can’t have fun doing what we are doing then it just isn’t worth it, is it?

In general, as it applies to “philosophical” we are now, and will always be, working to a higher plane even though our goals may, from time to time, be modified along with our Mission Statement.  After listening to firm members’ personal Mission Statements and discussing how these personal missions fit with our firm’s Mission Statement one would have to conclude that “we are all on the same page”.  “Our” Mission Statement shall become a living and growing thing, updated regularly and written with compassion and the passion that this writer experienced.