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No More Mission Statements
STOP MISSION STATEMENTS
Almost NO ONE, and we mean that literally, can recite their organization’s Mission Statement. You can test this if you want. Ask any three team members to recite, in unison, your Mission Statement (without looking). This is true in both the For Profit and Not For Profit worlds. Mission Statements are often wordy, watered down, all inclusive gobblety gook, written with a thesaurus by a committee.
START COMMUNICATING YOUR MESSAGE
The real goal is to have a Message that is clear, compelling, and concise that can be delivered consistently. Your Message should be able to be captured on a napkin and communicated in as few words as possible. Take a tip from the political world: Stay. On. Message.
It’s not just your organization that has trouble with Mission Statements – it’s a universal problem. A favorite example from a great, 100 year old company:
This could be the most exhausting, least inspiring, can’t believe they wrote it, Mission Statement ever. However, look at the message that is engraved or even tattooed on many an ‘iron horse’, ‘hog’, or rider:
LIVE TO RIDE. RIDE TO LIVE.
This message is what sticks with people. So, don’t worry about trying to change your Mission Statement. Leave it alone. The process alone isn’t worth your time. Instead, work on your Message.
3 Big Keys: SIMPLICITY. BREVITY. CLARITY.
We can’t tell you what your Message should be, but consider how these three keys contribute to the impactfulness of the following Messages. You probably know immediately who coined them, and they might even evoke a certain feeling or emotion when you read them. This is the goal.
“We’ll put a man on the moon before the end of decade.”
“I have a dream.”
“Imagination at Work.”
“Open Happiness.”
“Just Do It.”
“The Happiest Place on Earth.”
Bottom line: WHAT’S your MESSAGE???
