Our Business – Why We Do What We Do?

Most businesses have a Mission or Purpose Statement which is the “Why” we do what we do.  

Unfortunately, the mission statement is often developed by the founders, owners and/or senior management and never touched again.   In my last posting, I talked about individuals having a life purpose statement, and that it will likely evolve over time.  The same goes for a company mission statement. 

Mission statements should be inspirational, but should also be easily understood by stakeholders.

Here’s some examples of vague Mission Statements:

Dell: “To be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve.”

Huh?  A bunch of marketing jargon with the word, “Computer” in the middle.

American Standard: To be the best in the eyes of our customers, employees and shareholders.

Snore.

Here’s some examples of great Mission Statements:

Disney:  "We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere."

Coca Cola: “To refresh the world.”

The point is, a business needs to have a purpose for being.  Why are we here doing what we do?  It needs to be a purpose that management and employees believe in and strive towards.  This is the first step in bringing purpose and meaning to people in the workplace.

Next, I’ll talk about how to bring sustainability to that purpose and meaning.