Mission Statements: Missing in Action

"But enough about me, let's talk about you...
What do YOU think of me?"

Bette Midler as CC Bloom
"Beaches"
1988

The term "Mission Statement" originated in military and spy jargon, e.g.:

* Here's the mission, Captain: "Take hill #403 and exploit the advantage to shell the enemy from the heights!"

* "Your mission, Jim - should you decide to accept it..."

These days, everyone from the ballet company to the multi-national corporation and the local plumber proudly displays a "mission statement" and a custom designed logo on their ubiquitous polo shirt. "Branding 101" tells us that a uniform display of marks, statements and perhaps plumage is required to suitably differentiate your enterprise from the one down the street. Of course, there are a plethora of brand consultants out there who will - for a cool million or so - go off and create the entire "Brand Identity Package" for you - complete with a three ring binder of appropriate use examples and guidelines for the "Brand Police."

We know... we're part of the "story industry" too. But, before you dial up a brand consultant, or swear off the entire undertaking forever, allow us to suggest a nuanced middle way of thinking about the subject.

Any group enterprise has an embarrassment of missions: "To survive! To compete! To win! Next quarter break even! To expand! To dominate! To be Cool! To make obscene profits! To Rule the World!" You may have noticed that each of these statements emanates from the company's own point of view. Trouble ahead!

Exhibit A:

While waiting for the elevator in Manhattan, I noticed a Formica plaque by the call buttons: "Mission Statement: To become the biggest financial services provider in the industry!" Someone had scratched a response with a key, "On our backs and out of our pockets!" Mission statements can call forth some powerful responses!

We suggest that a little forethought might be in order. Before ordering the polos, why not assemble the team, marshall your thoughts and define your terms:

* What is a mission statement?

* Why do we want/need one?

* What will it do for us?

* What will we do with it?

* Who will see it?

* How will our promises and practices prove it to be true?

* Shall we tell the market our goal, or help them achieve theirs?

By getting your intentions, ideas and approach clear from the start, you can avoid many of the pitfalls that riddle the brand business. The most significant of which is: "Talking to ourselves, about ourselves." Many of the so called "Missions" we've been seeing lately fall into the trap of being "by us, for us and about us" - with no focus on the connection to a customer base.

Exhibit B:

On a visit to the East Building of the National Gallery, I was awestruck by the scope, simplicity and elegance of the architecture. The art was wonderful, but the building itself was ART of another category altogether - a massive demonstration of its creator's graceful vision.

Making my way out, I came upon the "Credit Wall," where the names of all those involved in the project were memorialized in Roman letters, chiseled deeply into limestone. Names at the top like "Reagan and Mellon", were not surprising but underneath "Architect of Record," the entire stone panel had turned a soft uniform beige - obscuring the ten inch high letters from view. Marveling, I stepped aside and watched. As people came near, one after another, they reached out and reverently touched the deep letter-forms, each hand leaving a small impact on the stone. After years and hundreds of thousands of gritty caresses, the words "I. M. Pei" had become one with the stone - deeply etched but nearly invisible - an obscure but profound testament to the affections of the visitors.

Here's the ultimate test of a mission statement: Do you feel confident enough to chisel it on the cornerstone downstairs? Have you done your homework - gotten out of your own head and focused on the customer, the client, the investor, the constituent? Great! The ultimate test is not whether it pleases you but whether it pleases the customer. You'll discover the response soon enough... Done well, your market will confirm you with more business and warm referrals. On the other hand, you may need to go back to the quarry...

Applications:

1. Personally

It's one thing to have a life dedicated to personal endeavor and accomplishment. But can you enlarge the game by also serving others?

2. At Home

Who do we hold dear in our hearts? The individual who talked about their challenges and victories at work? Or the one who said, "Tell me about your day, dear. How did that double date go?" Hey, maybe it's not about you.

3. At Work

Be careful of the desire to build a Mission Statement. It's dangerous, but potentially rewarding. In our experience, the best advisors won't do it for you, but will assist as you argue and ultimately define and craft your own unique statement of service - your "raison d'etre." Hold out for a counselor, not a polo shirt hawker.

But enough about us! How can we help you?

Limits to Logic & Unconditional Love

"The entire career of a Bodhisattva is governed by two major characteristics: Wisdom and Compassion.

Buddhahood is accomplished by Wisdom, but the act of becoming a Buddha is accomplished by Compassion.

A Bodhisattva's own liberation is achieved through Wisdom, but his goal of liberating others is achieved through Compassion.

With Wisdom he recognizes others' suffering and with Compassion eliminates it.

Due to his Wisdom he becomes disentangled from Samsara, but due to his Compassion he remains in it.

Owing to his Wisdom, the Bodhisattva remains unattached to the world, but with his Compassion he embraces the world.

Because of Wisdom he does not become conceited, because of Compassion he does not become discouraged.

Wisdom brings self-advancement, and Compassion brings others' advancement.

More than all else, Wisdom brings him Lordship of the Dharma, and Compassion brings him Lordship of the World.”

The Venerable 3rd Bardor Tulku Rinpoche
Tibetan Spiritual Leader
(1949 -

We exist in a world of self-created extremes:

One Pole: Logic/Reason.
One Pole: Emotion/Love.

Indulging our predilection for logic, we examine, judge, weigh and evaluate everything – subjecting every aspect of our lives to withering analysis; probing all the cavities, pondering the yawning disparities between good, better and best, finding all the flaws and usually concluding that everything somehow comes up short. Under the daily pressure of life our refined sense of judgment turns to mere criticality. Thus the unsettling feeling of standing naked before the Father, being found unsatisfactory.

But then comes redemption, in the form of unconditional maternal acceptance. "It's all right Dear, your father has a high (maybe ridiculous) standard in his pointy head. But in the end, he'll listen to his heart...You bring Richard home to dinner, and everything will be all right... What we always want for you is happiness." So, Mother, once again acquaints us with the saving graces of our all too human nature: acceptance, love, happiness, warmth, affection. Enough with logic already. Yet, without father hovering in the background, Mom might have attempted to feed all the poor folks in town and adopt all the children. Sometimes compassion requires a buffer.

At 3:05 am, "BEST" is not attainable, but proximity to a warm, affectionate, perhaps sleepy person who loves you is as GOOD as it gets. Sometimes we strive, sometimes we settle. We're forced to draw a line at the end of each day, and accept the distance we've covered. Life is not lived entirely on the edge, but mostly on the journey through the vast middle.

Interestingly, it is our capacity to discern the distinctions between good, better and best which is the seed of our greatness, and great undertakings. Yet it is that same capacity, when taken to compulsive extremes which turns us into unforgiving critics – devoid of warmth and sadly lacking in compassion.

It is our devotion to what is right and good that prompts us to set lofty standards, and devote lifetimes to meeting them. We create institutions devoted to raising levels of education, public health and universal understanding, then watch as these very institutions become the instruments of extortion, obstruction and exclusion. As we devote ourselves to perfection, we sometimes find ourselves being perfectly critical and empty of love.

The perennial lesson: We are born not of one parent; but of two. Not of logic only, but of love as well. Not creatures of "either" are we; but of "AND."

The highest standard of expectation: judge your subject not solely against the cold steel of logic, but also against a loving heart.

Applications:

Personally: When you're ready to hang it up and slide over the bridge railing, pause and ask yourself: "Am I being too hard on myself? Given a little more time – could I move things in a positive direction?" Why not give yourself another day or two to achieve complete enlightenment?

At Home: Should we pack the kids and the spouse into a crate and airfreight them to Nepal? Or should we consider a family vacation to Nepal instead? The temples there are a once in a lifetime experience... Maybe you'll meet a Buddha in Katmandu.

At Work: The train felt like Hell this morning and the demons followed you up the elevator. Purgatory. Then you get a smile as a colleague rises over one partition and a few steps later you notice a colleague in a moment of career desperation – this is your chance to be the Buddha of compassion.

Now it all makes sense. Though we live in a world of extremes, our saving grace is our ability to keep them in proximity to one another.

Logic got us here AND Love makes it worth staying.