Space: The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. It’s Five Year Mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before. I love this Powerful Mission Statement! I immediately have a mental image of the Starship Enterprise moving through Space. This Mission Statement is no small thing. It’s a Mighty thing. This Statement is proclaiming to the world what the Starship Enterprise is up to and the contribution it will be making.
A Mission Statement is a statement which is used to communicate the purpose of the Organization. It proclaims to your community what you’re up to, what your contribution is and how you are here to make a difference. It acts as the foundation for the work that you do. It stabilizes and guides your actions when change and unpredictability happens, which is always happening in physical reality.
We can’t get away from physical reality, therefore we have to have something that will stabilize us and guide us.
A Mission has four roles.
- It acts as a Truing Mechanism for your life and business.
- It is the Rally Point you and your staff can go to in times of stress.
- It is the Contribution you and your company are here to make.
- It acts as a Catalyst for Action and goal setting that is needed to demonstrate into reality what’s important to you.
A good mission statement is one that is clear and answers the right questions in a simple manner and does not over complicate things. Guy Kawasaki, author, speaker and former Apple Evangelist states “Create a mantra instead of a mission statement. He says most mission statements are too long, similar to other statements and not memorable.
Here are some examples of 3 Word mantras to inspire you:
Federal Express: “Peace of mind”
Nike: “Authentic athletic performance”
Target: Good Design for Everybody
Mary Kay: “Enriching women’s lives”
The ultimate test for a mantra (or mission statement) is if your staff or clients can tell you what it is. If they can, then you’re onto something meaningful and memorable. If they can’t, well, then, you need to make it clearer.
Your Mission today if you should choose to accept it is… Ask your clients or staff what your Mission Statement is. If they can’t tell you, it’s time to create a new one.
Go to the resource page of my website and you’ll find a simple worksheet to help you create your 3 Word Mission Statement. www.mycoachingdimensions.com
