MISSION STATEMENT DEVELOPMENT
[An excerpt from the book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek" by Dave Marinaccio.]
While decision-making processes are important, clearly identified corporate goals are more important. In my experience, the best-run companies have a basic philosophy that the people in the company know and understand. Sometimes this philosophy is formalized in a mission statement. Here is the best mission statement I have ever heard.
"These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Her 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."
Crew members of the Starship Enterprise know exactly what they are supposed to do. Suppose you are the most challenged person on the ship. How long do you think the mission will last? Five years? Very good. And suppose you encountered a strange new world? What should you do? Explore it, perhaps. There is even an emotion telling you how you should go about exploring it. Boldly.
Now try a simple test. Ask a number of colleagues at your place of work, "What is the single most important thing our company is trying to accomplish?" I've done this myself. Chances are you will receive many different answers. If you run a company, this exercise can be extremely enlightening.
Now ask yourself, if your business encounters a strange new world, what would your most challenged employee do? What if your company encounters a strange new opportunity? Without a basic philosophy, even a business's smartest employees have to improvise when they meet a new or challenging situation. We could do worse than rewriting the Star Trek mission statement for whatever venture we are on.
A simple statement. One that spells out who we are, what we are doing, and how we would like to go about doing it. Maybe even deal with the question of why we are doing it. Make the language exact, the goal specific, and even your most challenging employee will make you proud.
Marianccio, Dave, All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek. Crown Publishers, June 1994.
Current RCWIB mission statement
“To meet the needs of both employers and job seekers by providing the most responsive, flexible and comprehensive workforce preparation and employment system possible.”
Guiding questions
What is the single most important thing RCWIB is trying to accomplish?
For whom do we do this? Why?
How do we fulfill those opportunities and needs?
Based on your responses to the questions above how would you modify the RCWIB mission to more accurately reflect the purpose of your organization?
Mission Statement Discussion Responses-
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Discussion Responses WIB Staff 13 Feb 2009 mission RCWIB R Morse 13 Feb 2009 my stab at the mission statement Judy Mortrude 13 Feb 2009