If you’ve been in business for long, you’ve probably noticed that most mission statements seriously stink.
In fact, we’ve met quite a few business owners who have sworn off mission statements ALL TOGETHER! They’re too wordy, feel corporate, and never truly represent the unique vision of the company. You might be surprised by this, but we actually 100% agree.
We 100% Agree
For those who have given up on mission statements or never liked them in the first place, it might be because most mission statements seriously stink. If you’ve ever read a mission statement that makes one, two, or even ALL THREE of these mistakes, you’ll start to understand why you dislike them so much.
Mistake #1: They’re Too Vague
“We exist to provide value to our shareholders and lead the way in excellence in our industry while maintaining blah… blah… blah…”
You get the idea: too vague. If you can’t figure out exactly what industry, exactly what the goals are, and exactly what they mean by excellence, then the mission statement is too vague.
Imagine I invited you over for dinner and you asked what we were having. Now imagine I said, “let’s have protein, carbs, and healthy fats! See you at 6pm!”
Are you coming over? Probably not. Why? Because I invited you into something so vague, the alarm bells are going off.
Why Are We Vague?
Many business owners fear boxing themselves in or painting themselves into a corner so they instinctively keep the mission statement vague. While this is understandable, it almost always backfires.
Imagine you were getting into an Uber and when you tried to confirm the destination they driver replied, “DON’T BOX ME IN!” You’d be out of that car in a flash. Why? Because human being don’t feel safe being taken somewhere by someone who doesn’t know where they’re going. Period.
Mistake #2: They’re Too Generic
“We pride ourselves on being honest, possessing integrity, and never settling.”
Oh really? You and a million other companies!
Mistake #2 is making the mission statement too generic. This is especially true with Core Values! Being honest, having integrity, and not settling are things most human beings possess. They’re not unique to your company.
Imagine I said “to work here, you have to be alive – no dead people allowed!” What a weird thing to specify!
Why Are We Generic?
It makes sense to keep the mission and core values generic so we appeal to everyone and don’t offend anyone.
Here’s the kicker though, it ALSO backfires.
Research shows that with each new generation (Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z), knowing what a company STANDS FOR is becoming increasingly important. Younger generations tend to respect a brand more if it stands for something… even if they disagree with the stance!
Mistake #3: They’re Too Long
Do you know how much of a person’s life is spent NOT PAYING ATTENTION?
According to Dr. Amishi Jha in her book Peak Mind, we aren’t paying attention about 50% of the time. That’s half of our entire life, gone. And what’s more, we don’t even realize we’re missing it.
Why does this matter for mission statements? Well, the longer they are, the more people’s minds will wander. If it takes longer than 7 seconds to explain, people simply won’t get it.
The Brain Burns A LOT of Calories
For those who know a bit of neuroscience, you’ll remember that the human brain burns about 20% of the total calories we consume each day! That means when mission statements get too long, the brain goes into energy conservation mode and tunes out anything that doesn’t directly relate to survival.
Why We Go Long
We tend to go long for three main reasons:
- We believe our mission is so unique it can’t be put into words at all
- We believe our mission is so complex it can’t be stated succinctly
- We believe it’s not important to keep it short or it’s too much work to make it short
Unfortunately, even if those things are true, there is a natural consequence to having a wordy mission statement.
It’s Not You, It’s Me
The thing with mission statements is that they usually stink… but the DON’T HAVE TO. If you follow these 3 guidelines, you might find something exciting you can rally a team around!
Instead of swearing off mission statements and core values forever, trying making them specific, unique, and short!
Guideline #1: They’re Too Vague, So Get Specific
If you’re frustrated by how vague most mission statements are these days, make yours specific! In a future email, we’ll share a formula that tons of business owners have found super helpful. For now, just try to zero in on what you’re actually trying to do.
There’s a difference between, “we exist to provide value to our shareholders and lead the way in excellence in our industry while maintaining blah… blah… blah…”
AND
“We exist to meet with coffee business owners weekly to equip them with proven frameworks so they can grow their business without burning out their people.”
The difference? Specificity!
Guideline #2: They’re Too Generic, So Get Unique
Although honesty, integrity, and never settling are admirable, they’re too generic. I once worked with a company whose core values included “hard work” “accuracy” and “reliability” (as well as several others, which was also too long). Their mission statement was also centered on community, which again, is the same as a million other coffee companies.
None of those are bad things! They’re just too generic; everyone should work hard, be accurate, and reasonably reliable. Most coffee shops foster community.
What makes YOU unique?
A GREAT test is to find the OPPOSITE of the core value and ask yourself, “if somebody possessed the opposite trait, would they be allowed to work somewhere else?” The answer should be “YES!” Why? Because you want people who possess specific Key Characteristics that make them a great fit for YOUR company!
For example, if the core value is “reliable” then ask yourself, “could a person be unreliable and be allowed to work somewhere else?” The answer is obviously “no!” So we have to keep searching.
If your Key Characteristic is “Heart for the Arts” then ask yourself, “could a person not care for the arts and still be allowed to work somewhere else?” The answer is “YES!” That’s a unique trait you’re looking for; it’s not right or wrong, it just makes them a good fit for you.
Guideline #3: They’re Too Long, So Keep It Short
Lastly, keep it short. The end.
Just kidding.
Human being are bombarded by over 11 million bytes of information EVERY SINGLE SECOND.
Guess how many bytes per second we can consciously process? About 50.
So the longer your mission statement is, the more likely the brain is going to switch off and over to something… anything… that is more pertinent to surviving and thriving.
Later on we’ll show you how to craft a “one-liner” for your company, but until then, just try to keep it short!
That’s it! Let us know what other guidelines you’ve found super helpful!
Warm Regards,
Michael Ryan
P.S. If you want help crafting your mission statement and guiding principles package, we’d love to help! Getting outside input on this kind of thing is a game changer. Check out our Mission Statement Revamp Workshop here! It’s part of our growing selection of Business Operations workshops!