VISION AND VALUES: A mission statement can bolster unity and motivate legislative staff.

• Position: INNOVATIONS STRENGTHENING THE LEGISLATIVE INSTITUTION

When Kentucky's Legislative Research Commission drafted statements about the agency's mission, vision and values, one staff member had a question for Director David Byerman.

"Doesn't this just say what we've been doing all along?"

"That question made it clear that we got this right," Byerman says. "Our goal wasn't to chart a new direction for the agency, but to give voice to and clearly articulate the sense of mission and the values that have always united and inspired our nonpartisan staff."

Though mission statements are common in corporate America, they have not been adopted by most state legislative staffs. Kentucky's experience shows the benefits of distilling a staff's highest ideals into succinct statements, says Tim Holbrook, the commission's assistant director for human resources and professional development.

"Legislative staff members have a unique mission that motivates us and makes our jobs fulfilling," Holbrook says. "As a human resources officer for a high-performing staff, it makes sense to me to shine a spotlight on the shared mission that inspires our work."

Like many mission statements, the agency's is a simple one: to provide nonpartisan research and support for the General Assembly and to encourage participatory democracy for the citizens of Kentucky.

The mission statement is followed by a vision statement that expresses the agency's highest goals for its staff: "... to provide unparalleled service, to foster a culture of innovation and to become the career destination for the best public servants in the Commonwealth." Statements follow each of the agency's core values: service, integrity, diligence, excellence, accountability and respect. The statement of excellence, for example, is: "We are mindful of the importance of the duties we perform. We take pride in harnessing our skills to produce accurate, dependable and comprehensive work."

Staff input was vital in...