Unclear mission statements

Incomplete or misdirected thinking leads to fragmentation or misdirection of effort

I see mission statements all the time that run several sentences and are muddy.

They are so vague that they can't be used to derive objectives.

In conversation people don't seem to understand the purpose of a clear, precise mission.

I've never seen any organization team member who had a document that mechanically bridged the gap between the organization's mission and their daily work—what the person did on a recurring basis to contribute toward the organization's mission.

From the Leader to Leader Institute:

Changing the mission—or creating an organization's first mission statement—is a process of gathering ideas and suggestions for the mission and honing them into a short, sharply focused phrase that meets specific criteria.

Peter Drucker says the mission should "fit on a T-shirt," yet a mission statement is not a slogan.

It is a precise statement of purpose.

Words should be chosen for their meaning rather than beauty, for clarity over cleverness.

The best mission statements are plain speech with no technical jargon and no adornments.

Like the mission statement of the International Red Cross—"To serve the most vulnerable"—they come right out and say something. In their brevity and simplicity is power.

Related

About missions

The Five Most Important Questions

Mission as an Organizing Principle

Aligning Action and Values

Find "mission" in The Daily Drucker

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic”. — Peter Drucker

The shift from manual workers who do as they are being told — either by the task or by the boss — to knowledge workers who have to manage themselves ↓ profoundly challenges social structure …

“Managing Oneself is a REVOLUTION in human affairs.” … “It also requires an almost 180-degree change in the knowledge workers’ thoughts and actions from what most of us—even of the younger generation—still take for granted as the way to think and the way to act.” …

… “Managing Oneself is based on the very opposite realities: Workers are likely to outlive organizations (and therefore, employers can’t be depended on for designing your life), and the knowledge worker has mobility.” ← in a context

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