What's your mission statement?

[Cornish Steve]

Our company's mission statement has proved to be invaluable. Whenever opportunities arise, we gauge them against our mission statement. If the opportunity is consistent with the statement, we go for it; if it's not helping to fulfill our mission, we discard it.

Jim Collins, in his classic books "Good to Great" and "Built to Last", claims that a mission statement is crucial to a company's long-term success. Stephen Covey, in some of his works, reaches the same conclusion. Some mission statements are vague and ramble on; others are short and to the point. For example, Disney's mission statement is "to make people happy".

I thought it would be a useful exercise for everyone (who has one) to quote their mission statement. Let me start the ball rolling:

"To allow everyone to achieve their full learning potential, regardless of culture, age, gender, and personal circumstances."

 

[fastfences]

Hi Steve.

Fast Fences adheres to a code of ethics based upon the folowing mission statement:

'To fulfill customers’ fencing needs by providing prompt service, reliability and competitive prices backed by a written guarantee of quality materials and workmanship.'

Cheers, Nigel

 

[Peter Jolley]

Hi,

I am confused.

What is the difference (if there is one) between a mission statement and a strap line.

Mine is, Fire Safety Services - Reducing Risk & Increasing Safety.

I have always thought of this as a strap line as oppose to a mission statement.

What would you say it is?

Pete.

 

[cjd]

I'm going to disagree violently - I hate mission statements. Utterly loath them. If you stick around in a big company long enough you'll find that you get a new mission statement every 5 years or so or every time you get a new CEO or the CEO changes his consultant advisors - what ever comes first.

Each new statement has more imprecision than the last; they seem designed to make employees squirm.

BT had one for a while 'to be the best telecommunications company in the world'. Complete bullshit - 'best' was never defined, if it meant biggest it was impossible, if it meant something else we never found out what it was.

They tend to be glib throwaway lines that look good on the cover of an anual report but serve very little purpose other than to frighten the horses.

In other words they can be good PR (which is fine) but they get confused with something to do with guiding the company, which is dangerous because generally they are far too trivial.

I prefer to see a companies objectives which if they get them right are a list of the company's priorities and targets which can be quantified and measured.

[btw - my rant is a criticism of of mission statements generally; not a criticism of steve's and nigel's in particular, which are, of course, fine exceptions to my general rule that mission statements are mainly bullshit ]

 

[Joyous]

My mission statement (or strap line if you like) is just three words – “lightening the load”. I’d have thought it pretty much speaks for itself. Most business owners have got their hands full with the day to day running of the business and certainly didn’t go into business because of the love if accounting. However it has to be done so my aim is to take that off their hands so that they have one less thing to worry about.

Regards

Joy

 

[Dawg]

Golly! Mission Statements are just so last month!
We changed ours to "The Zen of Dawg", (last month.)

 

[Alison Geldart]

Hi,

I am confused.

What is the difference (if there is one) between a mission statement and a strap line.

Mine is, Fire Safety Services - Reducing Risk & Increasing Safety.

I have always thought of this as a strap line as oppose to a mission statement.

What would you say it is?

Pete.

Hi Pete,

I would say that is a strap line - it encapsulates neatly for your customers what you offer.

A mission statement is more an internal thing, probably a bit longer? I suppose a statement of intent of what you want your business to achieve, incorporating your values, aims and purpose.

A mission statement could be useful for a small business to keep you on track and remind you of what you're trying to achieve, I guess. I think they can get a bit lost in large organisations, though. I used to work for a public sector organisation - we had core values and a mission statement as part of our branding exercise, but these often seemed forgotten by the wider organisation and just became a bit of a marketing tool.

That's my interpretation anyway!

Alison

 

[Cornish Steve]

Wow - I'm surprised at the reaction. I've found a mission statement to be essential. It may sound simple, but ours took a lot of time to put in writing because it required considerable soul-searching: At the most basic level, what is it we're actually going to do for the life of our company? I'd feel the foundation was missing without it.

I think it's quite different from a strap line. The mission statement is something that guides a company, to keep it focused, that prevents it from going off on tangents. It's not something for external consumption; it's a core element of a company's very being. Every employee ought to know it and believe it and breathe it.

Colin, I've heard of garbage mission statements from companies big and small, and I agree that they are largely a waste of money. The mission statements of Disney, Merck, 3M, and others, though, are great examples.

Joy, if a major new opportunity came up that was quite different from anything you'd ever done before, could you make a decision whether or not to pursue it based on your mission statement? For me, that's the test.

 

[redtiger]

Here's our mission statement, needs redoing though I must admit!!

www.redtigermarketing.com/mission.jpg



Alex

 

[Peter Jolley]

Alison,
Thanks for the pointers.

Alex,

I know you said yours needs updating but at present I think your mission statement reads more like a sales pitch.

Goldsteve,
"The mission statement is something that guides a company, to keep it focused, that prevents it from going off on tangents."

Is this not the purpose of a business / marketing plan.

Pete

 

[redtiger]

Everything is a marketing tool in our world

We have an internal "Our Culture" plan too which defines how we work with one another, and details a little about the direction we're all on.

 

[Cornish Steve]

"The mission statement is something that guides a company, to keep it focused, that prevents it from going off on tangents."

Is this not the purpose of a business / marketing plan.

It's not the same. The mission statement is the most fundamental aspect of your business. It's your raison d'etre. It never changes. It's the foundation upon which everything else is built. On the other hand, a business plan changes daily. Numbers change. New competitors emerge. New opportunities arise. Staff come and go. Tax laws change.

If I needed to get to Nice, my 'mission statement' might be "to get safely to Nice". My 'business plan' might involve taking a car, or a plane, or a boat, with costs laid out, and so on. If I chose to sail and a storm blew me off course, my 'business plan' would change, with possible delays and extra costs. Maybe I'd have to make a fundamentel change and take a plane instead. Even though the plan changes, the mission remains the same.

While sailing, I might get distracted and sail instead to the Canaries. Now I've lost sight of my mission.

Does this make sense? While a mission statement may be misused by some companies (even big ones) and ignored by others, the preponderance of evidence is that it's a key factor in a company's success.

 

[euphrosene]

As Steve indicated, a mission is what give the owners and employees a sense of common purpose - whereas a business plan is more focused on the bottom line.

The strapline is often called the 'elevator pitch' (ghastly, I know)... meaning can you get across to someone in less than one minute what you do/sell/are.

Mission statements are frequently becoming more 'spiritual' as ecological and other concerns become paramount.

 

[Peter Jolley]

The strapline is often called the 'elevator pitch' (ghastly, I know)... meaning can you get across to someone in less than one minute what you do/sell/are.

I disagree, my elevator pitch is this, Fire Safety Services provide cost effective solutions and services in fire protection to all levels of the business communitey, which includes fire risk assessments, staff fire training and sales & servicing of fire equipment.

My strap line is Redusing Risk & Increasing Safety.

goldctrsteve,

I see where you are coming from but I am still puzzled to the benefit it may serve my business.

 

[cjd]

I started digging out my old management books to try to get you the answer but I found it all too depressing. So I copped out and googled:

I still think it's bullshit

http://www.businessplans.org/Mission.html

The mission statement should be a clear and succinct representation of the enterprise's purpose for existence. It should incorporate socially meaningful and measurable criteria addressing concepts such as the moral/ethical position of the enterprise, public image, the target market, products/services, the geographic domain and expectations of growth and profitability.

The intent of the Mission Statement should be the first consideration for any employee who is evaluating a strategic decision. The statement can range from a very simple to a very complex set of ideas.

How Specific Should You Be?
Normally, the Mission Statement should represent the broadest perspective of the enterprise's mission.

You may want to take the approach of being very specific. For instance, a Mission Statement for a fictitious airline could be worded as follows:

Airco, Inc. will be the 'guaranteed' on-time airline. Maintaining the most efficient equipment in the industry, we will target a customer base of mainly young businessmen and offer them the lowest cost service on the west coast, with an objective of a 20% profit before tax and a 30% per year revenue growth.

Or, you may want to say the same thing, but with more room for management interpretation. A more general way of stating Airco's Mission Statement could be:

Airco, Inc. will be recognized as the most progressive enterprise in the transportation business. We will offer our customers cost effective transportation service within geographical areas and market segments that can benefit from our services and will insure a return on investment and growth rate consistent with current management guidelines.

Mission Statements of Well Known Enterprises
The following are some examples of mission statements from real enterprises.
3M
"To solve unsolved problems innovatively"
Mary Kay Cosmetics
"To give unlimited opportunity to women."
Merck
"To preserve and improve human life."
Wal-Mart
"To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people."
Walt Disney
"To make people happy."

These are the 'one-liners', but each is supported by a set of values that set the performance standards and direct the implementation of the mission.

For example, Merck, a company that produces pharmaceutical products and provides insurance for pharmacy benefits, publicly states the following values.

• Corporate social responsibility
• Unequivocal excellence in all aspects of the company
• Science-based innovation
• Honesty & integrity
• Profit, but profit from work that benefits humanity

And Walt Disney, an entertainment business states their values as follows.

• No cynicism
• Nurturing and promulgation of "wholesome American values"
• Creativity, dreams and imagination
• Fanatical attention to consistency and detail
• Preservation and control of the Disney "magic"

Should Your Grasp Exceed Your Reach?
Many believe that the Mission Statement should have a grand scale, be socially meaningful and be measurable. The following are some examples of historical Mission Statements that were truly grand in scale.

Ford Motor Company (early 1900's)
"Ford will democratize the automobile"
Sony (early 1950's)
"Become the company most known for changing the worldwide poor-quality image of Japanese products"
Boeing (1950)
"Become the dominant player in commercial aircraft and bring the world into the jet age"
Wal-Mart (1990)
"Become a $125 billion company by the year 2000"

Conclusion
So, when you are preparing your Mission Statement remember to make it clear and succinct, incorporating socially meaningful and measurable criteria and consider approaching it from a grand scale. As you create your Mission Statement consider including some or all of the following concepts.

• The moral/ethical position of the enterprise
• The desired public image
• The key strategic influence for the business
• A description of the target market
• A description of the products/services
• The geographic domain
• Expectations of growth and profitability

 

[Dawg]

Naughty CJD,

I still think it's bullshit

It is well known that one persons mantra is another persons managerialist gobbledegook, or is that just me being anti-semantic?

 

[Cornish Steve]

I still think it's bullshit

For all that, you quoted some really great one-liner mission statements.

 

[Peter Jolley]

Interesting CJD,

So, it could be argued that either my elevator pitch (with a few tweaks) or my strapline could be a mission statement. If you look at the examples that you have posted from your google search.

Hmm :|

 

[Cornish Steve]

I disagree, my elevator pitch is this, Fire Safety Services provide cost effective solutions and services in fire protection to all levels of the business communitey, which includes fire risk assessments, staff fire training and sales & servicing of fire equipment.

My strap line is Redusing Risk & Increasing Safety.

I know nothing about your industry, but let me try to think outside the box for a moment. Let's say your mission statement is "to keep the people of xxx safe". By providing fire safety services, you meet your mission. Then, along comes a friend who suggests you branch into burglar alarms. Is that consistent with your mission? Yes, it is. Someone else comes along and suggests that you sell fire insurance. Is that consistent with your mission statement? No, it's not.

If, on the other hand, your mission statement is "to supply quality fire-related services", then it makes sense to sell fire insurance and not burglar alarms.

What is your company really about? Does your mission statement allow you to choose which new directions to take and which to ignore? The evidence is that companies that are focused have a higher rate of long-term survival.

 

[Peter Jolley]

goldctrsteve,

You qouted me to something I was disagreeing with what euphrosene said.

But if what you are saying is correct about mission statements "If, on the other hand, your mission statement is "to supply quality fire-related services", then it makes sense to sell fire insurance and not burglar alarms."
The mission statement could prevent a business entering a new market places. I.e you would not encourage people to think out of the box and therefore not explor or create new business oppotunities.

Pete

 

[Cornish Steve]

The mission statement could prevent a business entering a new market places. I.e you would not encourage people to think out of the box and therefore not explor or create new business oppotunities.

While we should still think outside the box - absolutely! In fact, that's the point. We each face a myriad of opportunities. The companies that thrive in the long term choose those that are consistent with their mission statement.

This is why so much care should be taken in coming up with a suitable mission statement, one we can live with forever.

 

[Cornish Steve]

If you ever start to lose focus or get de-motivated then you can always refer back to your mission statement to remind you of why your business exists.

This is an excellent point. Not only does the mission statement prevent us from disappearing down bunny trails; it also reaffirms our commitment and brings us back to earth when we make mistakes. It's good to be reminded why our business exists.

 

[euphrosene]

I choose to see a strapline and an elevator pitch as coming under the same brief ... ie taut advertising slogan which nonetheless describes what you do.

The elevator would have to mount a heck of a lot of floors for that one Peter :*)

 

[Cornish Steve]

Not to keep dwelling on this, but the elevator pitch is meant for external consumption. The mission statement is primarily for internal consumption. Big difference!

 

[Deleted member 6464]

wow! this is a good thread and it got me thinking

My mission statement would be

To make available high quality , natural , environmentally friendly and sustainable products for our customers while upholding honesty , integrity and respect.

What do you think :|


funmi

 

[cjd]

Well, I think that's very nice

If it was mine, and if I believed in mission statements, I'd simplify it to

To provide high quality, environmentally friendly and sustainable products in an ethical way.

Of course that says nothing whatsoever about candles but that's the problem with mission statements..........

 

[Cornish Steve]

To make available high quality , natural , environmentally friendly and sustainable products for our customers while upholding honesty , integrity and respect.

Excellent. While selling candles fits into this, you have plenty of scope to grow. You can turn down products that are not high quality. You can be relied upon not to sell anything toxic. When faced with a difficult business decision, you'll be honest (unfortunately, not always the obvious choice).

You could abstract it just a little to encompass other directions in the future: "To sell high-quality, natural, environmentally-friendly and sustainable products and services." Then you could consider recycling, organic foods, and so on. This is a statement that you could pursue for 50 years without change, despite changing fashions, preferences, and technology.

You could abstract it even more: "To sell products and services that are in harmony with the environment and nature." Now, you can sell products that have not been tested on animals, and so on.

Does this make sense?

 

[Cornish Steve]

Of course that says nothing whatsoever about candles but that's the problem with mission statements..........

And it shouldn't. It would be very boring to contemplate a life committed to candles only. On the other hand, it's invigorating to think that my life is committed to the environment.

Come on, Colin. You're in the swing of it now. What's yours? "To allow anyone in the world to communicate clearly with anyone else in the world at minimal cost."

 

[cjd]

Come on, Colin. You're in the swing of it now. What's yours?

Well if I believed in them, and if I had one, it might look something like the first sentence on our web site (you have to forgive the html, it's SEO stuff)

Voipfone provides reliable and inexpensive VoIP (Voice over IP) telephone calls and advanced, virtual PBX switchboard services to anybody, anywhere in the world.

and if it mattered to me I might expand it further into our 'About us' statement.

About Voipfone

Voipfone is an Internet Telephone Service provided by Inet Telecoms Ltd. It was founded to develop telephony services using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and is now a leading provider in the UK offering a wide range of products and services to both business and residential customers.

We promote open networks, unlocked hardware and no-contract services. Consequently, we peer with any professionally run VoIP network, sell user configurable (but plug-and-play) equipment and provide no-commitment, no risk, pay as you go services.

All Voipfone Directors, contractors and employees rely completely on the services we sell to the public to run and manage our own business so we experience what you do. And, unlike most other providers, we engineer our own products so that we can add new features and services quickly and constantly improve our existing ones.

We are a UK company contactable 24 hours a day and will respond quickly to your enquiries.

Voipfone is a founder member of ITSPA and adheres strictly to its codes of practise and standards.

But, like I say; mission statements are bullshit ;-)

 

[PI Guy]

The TRUTH shall set you free!

 

[SillyJokes]

Isn't Tesco's mission statement, "You will be assimilated!"?

Ours is probably, Do do anything I wouldn't do.

 

[Cornish Steve]

Voipfone provides reliable and inexpensive VoIP (Voice over IP) telephone calls and advanced, virtual PBX switchboard services to anybody, anywhere in the world.

While this is a great elevator pitch, it's not a mission statement. What will you do when Voice over IP is replaced by Video over IP, then Personal Network via IMS, then B/S by HIT, and so on? Without mention of technology, it works: "Voiphone provides reliable and inexpensive communication to anybody, anywhere in the world."

Sorry for getting carried away, and I don't mean to poke holes. It's just that, the more time goes by, the more convinced I am that a mission statement is crucial to any company, whether big or small. Plus, a mission statement is something you can be passionate about.

 

[Deleted member 6464]

Great ,

Thanks cjd and steve , I've noted your suggestions.


best wishes,

funmi

 

[cjd]

While this is a great elevator pitch, it's not a mission statement. What will you do when Voice over IP is replaced by Video over IP, then Personal Network via IMS, then B/S by HIT, and so on? Without mention of technology, it works: "Voiphone provides reliable and inexpensive communication to anybody, anywhere in the world."

Well that's one of my big beefs with mission statements. If you want them to be long lasting they have to be so glib to be meaningless and then they get carved into brass plaques and nailed to walls so you can't easily change them.

If I don't call my first sentence a mission statement I can change it tomorrow if it suits me.

 

[increasedmiles]

INTERESTING OPINIONS!
What is comes down to is philosophy - personal & business!!
You need principles, scruples and direction not just for yourself but also your business. This is where your mission statement comes in.
It is a statment of intent for the direction of your business, a business philosophy that is always protected with a strong integrity!

 

[billhilton]

I loathe most mission statements, because they're usually vague and woolly. I do have one, though, and it has the virtue of simplicity. My mission is to....

"Make a huge pile of cash"

I also considered "arbeit macht frei" and "don't eat the yellow snow", but after some discussion with my marketing people it was felt that neither was a perfect fit for the brand values.

 

[Cornish Steve]

"Make a huge pile of cash"

As something to give direction and against which to measure decisions, it's actually a great mission statement!

 

[RSL]

My mission:

To be a Dragon on "Dragon's Den" if its still showing in 6 years! If its not - then to just be a "dragon" - you know what I mean.

 

[theMBA]

If anyone suspects their mission statement might be too woolly, try applying the "inversion test" to it. Turn all positive statements in it into negatives and see if this inverted mission statement is something that a different company (or competitor) might possibly subscribe to. If so, then your original mission statement differentiates you from them. If not, or if it becomes so nonsensical or extreme when inverted so that nobody would ever subscribe to the inverted version, then your mission statement is probably too imprecise or meaningless as a means of differentiating you from others.

 

[Cornish Steve]

I'm not so sure that this works. Take Disney for example: "To make people unhappy". While a number of companies achieve this goal, I doubt that it's their intent.