Last week, I facilitated two mission statement exercises.
A lot of people get an acid stomach at the thought of a vision/mission session - and rightfully so.
Writing a vision/mission statement usually an exercise in wordsmithing that has no actionable outcome.
Why?
Because no one wants to put in writing what they are NOT going to do.
And that's essentially what a mission statement is. It's a guide to what you will and will not do.
If your mission is "to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world" (Nike), then you're not really focusing on low-cost shoes, are you?
If your mission is "to give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people" (Wal-Mart), you're probably not going to overstaff, or offer a lot of customization, are you?
If your mission is to "democratizing the air" (Southwest), you don't provide reserved seating.
What if your mission is "to provide personal vehicle owners and enthusiasts with the vehicle related products and knowledge that fulfill their wants and needs at the right price. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff will help inspire, educate and problem-solve for our customers." What are they NOT doing?
That's the mission statement of Advance Auto Parts. I'm not picking on them. They just happen to be the first entry on MissionStatements.com. And there are plenty of other mediocre missions there. In fact, Dilbert makes fun of this phenomenon with the Mission Statement Generator.
So, what's wrong with the Advance Auto Parts mission - other than the fact that no one could possibly memorize it?
Well, as an employee, it doesn't help me prioritize.
If I have to choose between 'fulfilling their wants' and getting them the 'right price', which do I choose?
If a mission statement is not a rudder, why write it?
Or just write, "Be everything to everyone". At least I can remember it.
Unfortunately, we know how well 'be everything' works for humans.
Why would it work any better for a company?
I have 5 expectations for a mission:
Notice the customer isn't mentioned? There's an assumption that if the mission if fulfilled, the customer will benefit. Also, the customer might be mentioned in the company values - no need to cover familiar ground if that's the case.
My mission? Accelerate Learning for my clients.
A lot of people get an acid stomach at the thought of a vision/mission session - and rightfully so.
Writing a vision/mission statement usually an exercise in wordsmithing that has no actionable outcome.
Why?
Because no one wants to put in writing what they are NOT going to do.
And that's essentially what a mission statement is. It's a guide to what you will and will not do.
If your mission is "to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world" (Nike), then you're not really focusing on low-cost shoes, are you?
If your mission is "to give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people" (Wal-Mart), you're probably not going to overstaff, or offer a lot of customization, are you?
If your mission is to "democratizing the air" (Southwest), you don't provide reserved seating.
What if your mission is "to provide personal vehicle owners and enthusiasts with the vehicle related products and knowledge that fulfill their wants and needs at the right price. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff will help inspire, educate and problem-solve for our customers." What are they NOT doing?
That's the mission statement of Advance Auto Parts. I'm not picking on them. They just happen to be the first entry on MissionStatements.com. And there are plenty of other mediocre missions there. In fact, Dilbert makes fun of this phenomenon with the Mission Statement Generator.
So, what's wrong with the Advance Auto Parts mission - other than the fact that no one could possibly memorize it?
Well, as an employee, it doesn't help me prioritize.
If I have to choose between 'fulfilling their wants' and getting them the 'right price', which do I choose?
If a mission statement is not a rudder, why write it?
Or just write, "Be everything to everyone". At least I can remember it.
Unfortunately, we know how well 'be everything' works for humans.
Why would it work any better for a company?
I have 5 expectations for a mission:
- It supports and leads to the companies long-term financial goals
- It acts as a rudder - should we take an action or not?
- It benefits all stakeholders - not equally, or even obviously, but it benefits them
- Easy to remember - 3-12 words, shorter is almost always better
- Is unique - should belong only to you as a company or a group in the company
Notice the customer isn't mentioned? There's an assumption that if the mission if fulfilled, the customer will benefit. Also, the customer might be mentioned in the company values - no need to cover familiar ground if that's the case.
My mission? Accelerate Learning for my clients.
What's yours?
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