There are definitely some iconic mission statements out there; both old and new: Nokia's "connecting people" springs to mind or Nike's "just do it". Other firms have created their mission & vision statements too and these have remained in obscurity, both in regard to the wider world and at home in their own organisations. How many employees can find theirs and state it? It begs the question: why bother creating one? What's it for and for whom?
If a management team has bothered to create a vision & mission I suggest that some effort went into it's construction? And yet some (statements) seem lie languishing in the doldrums (being a bit lazy that is) until someone discovers them per chance or by mistake... or some business student happens upon it when researching on the internet:)
I discovered one the other day created by a company in Sweden, where the original statement in Swedish made some sense, however, it had been translated into English to reach a wider audience. I won't mention the company name or repeat it here for reasons of integrity, however, the translation was completely different (to the original) - so the question has to be asked, which one of the two is valid? And yet again: why bother, what's it for and for whom?
I suggest that a company’s mission & vision statement should set the tone and scope of the type of organization, which it strives to become…
Does your (company) mission statement inspire you, does it define where you want to go, and does it define and state a market space, which doesn’t limit your organisation?
Setting the tone and direction:
What is the scope of your company, why do you exist and what sort of business are you?
What does your mission & vision statement say about your organisation?
Are your daily decisions linked to it and do they (your decisions) reinforce your mission & vision?
Does your mission & vision motivate your employees, your customers and other important stakeholders?
How is your company culture and leadership linked to your firm’s mission & vision?
What sort of customers do you want?
It would be interesting to hear your different opinions on the subject. If you have any questions with reference to the above please feel free to contact us at http://www.smqc.eu by using the contact formula.