Manatee County’s Best Kept Secret
Many companies have a mission statement, a formal
summary of the organization’s core values. However,
not many employees have memorized their company’s
mission statement. Maybe they should. The mission statement
determines the organization’s direction, and like a compass,
keeps everyone clear on why their jobs exist and what will make
them successful.
I recently sat down with Ken Burton, Jr. our Manatee County Tax
Collector and his Administrative Assistant, Jan Hilker, to ask a
statement, I was told, plays a major part in the many roles of
across Manatee County.
They also said something that surprised me. The staff members
their mission statement by heart. They recite it before every
team meeting, and impressed colleagues from across the state
when they all recited it, impromptu, at a Florida Tax Collectors
Association Education Forum.
take serving the public seriously and strive to live up to this
to perform our duties with integrity and respect, focusing on
innovation, and serving with excellence.
That’s a tall order. But wait, there’s more...
Imagine the following job listing, which is actually an analogy Ken
WANTED:
Candidate MUST:
• Handle money like a BANKER
• Know the law like a PARALEGAL
• Possess computer skills like an IT HELP DESK
• Be detail-oriented like a DETECTIVE
• Remain agile like a GYMNAST
ALL in a fast-paced environment of a NASCAR PIT CREW
For entry positions, roughly one hundred applicants will apply. Of
that hundred, only two or three will be called for an interview. It’s
like health insurance, membership in the Florida Retirement
System 457 (a program like the traditional 401K), as well as 12
one gets 16 hours of paid vacation/sick time and accrues and
additional 14 hours per month.
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Jan Hilker and Ken Burton