Mission statements miss the point

Abstract

Research on mission statements has shown considerable variability in their value as well as equal disagreement about their value. Mission statements and strategic objectives are often created in the hope that they can help push the organization toward some desired destination. Every person and every organization needs to have a clear destination for their group or organization, but it will require finding better vehicles than simple mission statements. Successful organizations should probably spend 90 percent of their time keeping people focused and 10 percent figuring out how to get there. Ineffective organizations tend to spend 90 percent of their time making rules, regulations, and procedures. Asking good questions is a fine start, but it also takes hard work and continual feedback; otherwise, you end up with a lifeless mission statement. It may not be essential for the entire group to think as one or to reach a complete agreement or singularity about what they are supposed to be about, but the process of continually monitoring and evolving this process is essential.

Making Mission Statements Operational: Perceptions of Principals from Tri-Association Schools

“…Not quite one-third of the principals considered their school's mission statement as significantly different from that of other schools. This finding was consistent with that of Blandford and Shaw (2001), Denton (2001), DuFour (1997), Newsom and Hayes (1990), among others who opined that mission statements were so similar among organizations and schools that people had a difficult time recognizing their differences. These findings could be attributed to the Tri-Association membership being heavily composed of international schools that had similar goals to accomplish and similar histories based on serving American expats and the more elite student bodies of in-country citizens.…”

“…Regardless of whether mission statements were related to behaviors or an organization's overall performance, several observers (Blandford & Shaw, 2001;Denton, 2001;DuFour, 1997) had suggested that mission statements were not good vehicles for leaders to promote their organizations, because most mission statements were indistinguishable from one other. Newsom and Hayes (1990) reviewed 93 mission statements from colleges in 11 Southeastern states that were part of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' accreditation process.…”

Strategy as Simulacra? A Radical Reflexive Look at the Discipline and Practice of Strategy*

“…There has been a wealth of empirical work conducted on mission statements (cf. Bart et al, 2001; Denton 2001; Mullane, 2002), as well as models to analyse and guide management in designing and implementing them (e.g. Ashridge Model) – a second‐order simulacrum (Campbell and Tawadey, 1990).…”

Developing a local authority 14-19 education strategy

“…(Conway et al 1994). Denton (2001) describes vision as defining the organisation's aspirations for the future that appeal to the emotions and beliefs of organisational members. Mission, however, is about identity and includes a range of concepts such as organisational purpose, reducing it.…”