In “The Art of the Start,” Guy Kawasaki references the importance of operating under mantra rather than a mission statement. He argues that there’s no need to loquaciously explain your goals and practices to others (and yourself) if you instead pinpoint the key driving force behind your business and make it self-evident and unifying in everything you do.
Guy cites the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator as one of the best resources in creating a meaningless, buzzword-filled mission statement to rival those created by teams of consultants. The tool (now offline) allowed you to enter a few key phrases and select your favorite fancy words to create a mission statement like one he included in his “The Art of the Start” session at the Houston Technology Center:
We exist to professionally build long-term high-impact sources so that we may endeavor to synergistically leverage existing effective deliverables to stay competitive in tomorrow’s world.
The mission statement medium almost begs for $10 words when you really need to express a simple thought.
Take a look at The Planet’s Mission Statement … Notice anything interesting about it? Take a look at the heading:
Our Mission: Be the Best Host for You.
You don’t have to read beyond the first line of the page to know what we’re about. The sentiment might not be revolutionary, but what it loses in originality, it makes up for in sincerity:
To be the best host for you, we need to keep your business online and your Web sites fast. To be the best host for you, if you ever need to get in touch with us, we need to be available, friendly, honest, open and helpful. To be the best host for you, we need to have affordable prices and flexible solutions to fit your business.
The cynics in the audience are probably waiting for someone to break out a guitar to lead a sing-along at this point, but that’s not where we’re headed.
This post is a challenge to everyone reading it: Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to reach out to us any time that mantra does not permeate your experience as a customer of The Planet.
Will you take us up on the challenge?
-Kevin
