This is where we go

How many of your team members are able to say in a few simple words why they do what they do?

While most companies have a mission statement, few companies are actually on that mission – simply because most team members can’t even repeat that mission without reading it from the posters.

Most mission statements are made to sound good, to cover all grounds, or to contain something for everyone. But by being vague, abstract and everything to everyone, they turn out to be easily forgotten and not at all useful for actually making decisions.

What’s much more useful – and thus, much more powerful – is a navigation system. One that makes everyday decisions easier. One that makes everyone pull into the direction.

The other day, I saw a clever slogan that just did this. It said “Quick logistics”. It’s short. It doesn’t sound fancy. Some might even argue, it’s boring.

But it does one thing that all those elaborate 10 bullet point, fancy sounding mission statements don’t achieve. It provides focus and direction, and it makes everyday decisions easy. Whenever a team member is faced with a decision, she can simply ask: Does this help to make delivery quicker? If yes, do it. If not, don’t.

So, where are you headed?