Trash Your Mission Statement

By Kevin McCarthy
Jun 19, 2006, 19:13

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Kevin McCarthy

You've spent thousands of dollars and enormous time of key leaders in the organization,gone on retreats, and what do you have to show for your investment-a dull, generic mission statement. Now completed, the statement is buried in a binder gathering dust on the shelf or maybe posted on a wall never to be minded again. Everyone goes back to doing things just the way they always did. You rationalize the investment by saying,"It's the process that's important,not necessarily the words themselves." And with that your mission statement dies -a well-intended, yet costly diversion. An opportunity wasted. Sound familiar?

It doesn't have to be this way! Your hopes of creating a unifying theme need not be dashed into the darkest recesses of your office. You sense the power of what it must be like to identify your corporate DNA -the source from which the organization emerges,sinks roots, and ultimately blooms to bear fruit. Can a statement act as an internal gyroscope constantly spinning to balance day-to-day actions with long-term objectives? Can it keep individuals from doing what is right in their own eyes,yet wrong from the perspective of the company? Yes,such a statement can exist.

What you need is a purpose statement combined with statements of vision,values, and missions. In these unique, few, simple and rich words the very essence of the organization is distilled.Practically,they spark the team and guide behaviors and systems design by creating actions with intention rather than the expedient.

You may be thinking, "Its a matter of semantics.Mission,vision,purpose-what the heck they're one in the same." Wrong!! Each has a special role (see McCarthy 's 10 Rules for Purpose Statements.) The purpose statement contains it all-the corporate DNA. Confusion here in the organization is like a golfer driving the ball out of bounds on the first tee-it costs you on the hole and and the entire round.

So how do you know when to trash your mission statement?If your mission statement has one or a combination of these catch phrases,then you probably need to trash it:

to be profitable

to be the leader in Central Florida (or any geography)

to serve our customers

to be an industry leader

to pursue excellence

to deliver quality

to return to our stockholders

to build our employees

to add value

Let's have some fun by writing the ultimate gag-on-it mission statement: "Our mission at XYZ Company is to pursue excellence by profitably serving our customers by adding value through quality products and services as the leader in widget building in Central Florida (add your geography) while delivering a high return to our stockholders."

Those are honorable objectives. "What's so bad about them," you ask?? The problem: all of the above should be givens for any organization. Generic mission statements lack personality and specificity. Do you describe yourself as a person with two arms and two legs who works for a living,attempting to safely drive a car from place to place,and provides for a family? No, almost anyone could fit the bill. Unfortunately, it's the way the majority of mission statements read. Nine months of retreats and meetings to come up with this! No wonder most members of the company dread those seemingly useless strategic planning sessions.

Don't fret about it. You can have living, inspiring,and meaningful statements of purpose.Learn to dig deeper by getting to the uniqueness of your organization. Answer the key question, "why are we in this business?" Yes, it is to have a job, a wage, to serve customers,and to make a profit.Nevertheless,it has to be more than that.In the final analysis as managers or owners we have a responsibility to the people around us to create healthy work environments.Places where individual performance and corporate performance are meaningfully linked,aligned,and performing.It 's called being an on-purpose business.

One last tip-before you can have a great corporate purpose statement you first need a personal purpose statement that is lived out in all areas of your life.Discover your purpose and align your resources to it,and you too can be on-purpose. You can transform your trash into a treasure.

McCarthy's 10 Rules for Purpose Statements

Purpose Statements must be:
1. Simple to understand and memorize
2. Expressing the unique spirit of the organization
3. Inspiring and exciting
4. Affording structure with flexibility and focus with growth
5. Useful from the boardroom to the mailroom
6. Clearly stated and brief -no longer than one page
7. Answering the question,"Why do we exist?"
8. Practical in application
9. By definition -in service to others
10. Heartfelt,inspiring and stirring passion
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1 Purpose Statements Outline

Purpose Statements include statements of purpose,vision, missions, and values. The Statement of Purpose builds on the past,lives in the presents, and looks to the future. It captures the heart or spirit of an organization by answering the question,"Why do we exist?" The Vision Statement looks to the future.It resides in the mind's eye as a picture and feeling of the dreams that can be. It answers the question,"Where are we headed?" The Mission Statements are the current actions or tasks at hand and in the near future.They are focused on outward actions,rather than the internal workings of the organization."What do we need to do today to fulfill our purpose and move us closer to the vision?" The Values Statements are learned, internal governors of right and wrong. If violated a gut response is felt.

Kevin W. McCarthy is the author of two books,The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business .He the CEO of On- Purpose Partners located in Winter Park, Florida. This business consulting firm specializes in strategy for business and life and helps leaders prepare for TOP performance. Visit his web site at www.on-purpose.com.

© Kevin W. McCarthy 2003, All Rights Reserved

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