Mission: Mission Statements

By Theresa Witham

Laurel Management Systems, Inc., Palm Springs, Calif., applies the same concept to organizational mission statements. “It is very rare, even in corporate America, to see mission statements that lift you up and define what the company is. I think they are a complete waste of time.”

Most mission statements are bland and very similar to other mission statements. Plus, no one can recite them, he said.

“Let us get down to practicalities on this,” he said, offering the following examples.

• “To have a PC on every office desk by the year 2000.”--Microsoft’s one-time mission statement;
• “The World’s Favourite Airline”—British Airways; and
• “Lifting our members out of poverty”—one of Oliver’s credit union client’s mission statement.

What makes these different is that you can measure them. They motivate employees and tell customers or members what the company is about.

What is your CU’s mission statement? What do you wish it were? How could you make it better?

Theresa Witham is a CUES editor.

Oliver will speak at CUES Symposium 2013: A CEO/Chairman Exchange, Feb. 3-7 in Maui.

CU Planner: A Strategic Planning Process, uses templates from John Oliver.