Company mission statements the world over are filled with harmless fluff, piffle and jargon.
So say the authors Marc Stigter and Cary Cooper, who have compiled a list of 25 of what they regard as the most clichéd, almost “missionless mission statements” in their book Solving the Strategy Delusion.
It has filed this short-list under a range of categories, ranging from “some internally driven guff about excellence and efficiencies” to “vague but poorly articulated realisation it might have something to do with customers.”
The authors say: “Such clichéd statements don’t contribute to a compelling story but point out that leadership lacks imagination and perhaps in some cases direction. A good mission is constructed from the outside – in addressing how we add value to whom. It goes beyond merely describing what we offer.”
The Bottom Line suspects the writers are not fans of boardroom bingo.