How to Use Your Mission Statement
Avoid the mission creep that leads to failure
I have been asked to apply for a board position for a local business. The person who asked me said that they needed someone with a broad background, who knew something about budgets, and knew how to say no.
I have been on the boards of several organizations. The statement reminded me of a role I had as an advisory member of the local massage school. The teachers and administrators were wanting to offer more courses as requirements for graduation. They wanted to be more like a for-profit massage school in Seattle. I was opposed. I argued that the local school was part of the community college. The school should graduate students who were qualified and prepared to obtain a state license. Anything more than that was simply driving up costs. I also argued that additional courses could be offered as continuing education.
That is an example of mission creep. An organization continues to expand beyond its core until it begins to fail.
Following is part of a statement from Brian Niccol, chairman and CEO of Starbucks. “Today, I’m making a commitment: We’re getting back to Starbucks. We’re refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart — a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather, and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our skilled baristas. This is our enduring identity. We will innovate from here.”
It reminds me of football teams. The coaches who turn teams around start with the fundamentals. Practice sessions go back to blocking, tackling, kicking and passing. A solid foundation is in place first.
For a while, it was popular for businesses to post their mission statements for customers to see. The statements were often quite grandiose. I wasn’t a fan. However, as with the massage school, it can be very helpful for management to constantly be reminded of the basic mission. We must improve service to our customers while remembering our core mission.
Of course, the idea applies to our personal lives, politics, and churches. As you think about your life and what you want to do, what is your mission? As we think about our business, what is our mission? As we think about government, what is our mission? As we think about church, what is our mission?
Don’t put your mission statement on your front door, in the lobby of your business, in the capital, or in the church. Think about your mission as you decide what needs to be done. Let your mission direct your efforts. Avoid the mission creep that so often leads to failure.