Make Your Mission Statement Work

"...Takes you step by step through the process of working with your community...
practical and down-to-earth."
--Business Matters

Identify your organisation's values and live them every day


A mission statemnent is an explicit statement of the values of an organisation. It generates:

• the principles in accordance with which the organisation acts
  
• the standards against which it is willin to be judged.
  

As such a mission statement is a hostage to fortune.

If the organisation lives up to the values expressed in its mission statement, acts in accordance with the principles derieved from it and meets the standards it generates the organisation will be securing its morale and strengthening its reputation. If, on the other hand, it fails to live up to live up to these values, it leaves itself open to charges of hypocrisy, weakness and/or ignorance from inside and outside the organisation: morale will be low and reputation shaky.

Successful organisations do not leave such matters to chance: they take steps to ensure that the values expressed in their mission permeate the everyday behaviour of everyone in their organisation. The ensure their mission statement is effective.

The Effective Mission Statement

The effective mission statement is one that is actively helping everyone in the organisation to live up to the values it expresses. It is a touchstone for every aspect of organisational behaviour. In expressing values that everyone in the organisation understands and shares it ensures that everyone in the organisation is:

• striving for the same goals
  
• working in accordance with same principles
  
• adhering to the same standards
  
• fostering organisational morale
  
• securing the organisation's reputation
  
• determining the character of the organisation.
  

The six step process outlined in this book will help ensure that your mission statement is effective.

Values must be based on actionable practices that everyone can recognise and emulate. They must be rooted in what actually goes on in a company day by day.
Melvin R. Goodes, CEO, Warner Lambert

Clarifying organisational purpose

This book has been written for chief executives who are interested in:

• clarifying organisational purpose, the better to focus on organisational goals
  
• revitalising their organisation, improving morale and generating commitemnt
  
• managing change effectively and generating the support of everyone within the organisation.
  

If you are such a person (or hope to be ) this book will help you to:

• make explicit the values that underpin organisational culture
  
• express these values in a 'living' mission statement
  
• implement systems by which to ensure these values permeate organisational behaviour.