Missioneering

‘To bring the best user experience to our customers through our innovative services.’

‘To completely delight and satisfy our guests…we are committed to continual improvement, to making a difference every day and to being the best.'

‘To provide the best customer service possible.’

It’s entirely possible that your organization’s mission statement sounds not unlike any of these.

That’s because it’s easy (and tempting) for founders and executives and board room members to sit around in a conference room and come up with something that appeals to nearly everyone.

Superior service. Commitment to excellence. Forward-thinking innovation. What organization doesn’t strive for these?

It warrants the question: if your competitors’ mission sounds anything like yours (or yours to theirs), if you're selling the same product or service (albeit a better one), and if your marketing to same people in the same category, why should we choose you?

If you’re doing nothing more to differentiate yourself from the market (or worse, not even realizing your agreed-upon mandate), no amount of rewording or rehashing your mission or values can help you ascend to the top.

‘Missioneering’ (a play on sloganeering) is tempting, because it’s cheap and easy and invulnerable. But it’s also a sinecure that often plagues organizations more than it helps identify who they are and who they serve.

You can hide from it all you want, but, actions (really do) speak louder than words.