I have to admit, I've never really understood what mission statements are for.
To help me understand, I went to Wikipedia, having Googled a definition. Now I'm not saying that Wikipedia knows everything and that every detail on there is correct (it isn't) but they did come up first in the search, which tells you something.
Anyway, this is what it said:
A mission statement is a brief written statement of the purpose of a company or organization. Ideally, a mission statement guides the actions of the organization, spells out its overall goal, provides a sense of direction, and guides decision making for all levels of management.
What I don't understand is why people would want their mission statement on their website or brochure. (I'm not sure that I understand why anyone would want one in the first place, actually). And yet they do.
Ok. Imagine that you're going out to dinner tonight and you fancy lobster. You search for [your location] + lobster. Are you really interested in that restaurant's mission statement? Are you even going to read it? No. You're more concerned about their lobster specialties, their hours and the driving directions. Doesn't that apply to any business? Who is really going to read your mission statement?
So I looked at a mission statment at random, That of Starbucks - it's on their website, believe it or not. It has 426 words; hardly a brief written statement, is it? It starts by saying To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. That's nice, but it's a tagline, not a mission statement.
It goes on about the company's policies. For example: When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers— even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. It’s really about human connection.
All good stuff, really. But who on earth is going to click on a mission statement link and read it? Our philosophies or even about us would be better as a link. They have hardly anything on their about us page but I'll bet that more people go to that page rather than the mission statement.
So, do you have a mission statement on your site? Why?
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