Unclear mission statements

Incomplete or misdirected thinking leads to fragmentation or misdirection of effort

I see mission statements all the time that run several sentences and are muddy. They are so vague that they can't be used to derive objectives. In conversation people don't seem to understand the purpose of a clear, precise mission. I've never seen any organization team member who had a document that mechanically bridged the gap between the organization's mission and their daily work—what the person did on a recurring basis to contribute toward the organization's mission.

From the Leader to Leader Institute:

Changing the mission—or creating an organization's first mission statement—is a process of gathering ideas and suggestions for the mission and honing them into a short, sharply focused phrase that meets specific criteria.

Peter Drucker says the mission should "fit on a T-shirt," yet a mission statement is not a slogan.

It is a precise statement of purpose.

Words should be chosen for their meaning rather than beauty, for clarity over cleverness.

The best mission statements are plain speech with no technical jargon and no adornments.

Like the mission statement of the International Red Cross—"To serve the most vulnerable"—they come right out and say something. In their brevity and simplicity is power.

See The Five Most Important Questions, Mission as an Organizing Principle, and Aligning Action and Values