"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." JFK May 25, 1961
I believe in mission statements. I believe it is critical to declare our purpose and why we exist. Mission statements at their best harness an organization's power and propel it forward.
Mission statements are not necessary evils and boring, jargon filled paragraphs. The US was once captivated by a mission "to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth" before the 1960's decade ended.
A mission statement is a declaration of our purpose, and a commitment to ourselves, our organizations and to those whom we serve. The organization's mission provides focus to our actions and decisions.
One of my favorite companies that lives it mission and purpose is Southwest Airlines. I fly Southwest nearly every month, and I'm a loyal customer. I have a lot of choices and Southwest is mine. I find Southwest's commitment to customer service and value unparallelled.
Southwest's Purpose: To connect People to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel.
Every organization needs a mission statement. It's an investment worth making. The more concise you make it, the more memorable and liveable it will be. Declare your mission today.
Looking for some inspiration? Here's a link to MissionStatements.com. This will take you to a collection of mission statements from Fortune 500 companies.
Image: Earthrise from Apollo 8 mission. Courtesy of NASA