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O P I N I O N
Be on mission
This requires more than just a clever slogan. It is a call to be focused, driven, and dedicated to a common goal.
I t’s better to be on mission than on brand. In the service industry, a strong mission statement the firm backs whole-heartedly is a more powerful motivator than the firm’s brand. While brands create awareness, actions are motivated by a common mission and these actions underscore and support the brand. Think of the firm as a book; while the brand is the book cover that draws the reader in, the mission is the story and substance that keeps the reader hooked.
Seth Carlton
Mission statements are designed to organize a group around a common goal and motivate them toward achieving it. This focus on a common goal empowers people to achieve together more than they can do as individuals, meaning the group is greater than the sum of its parts. It is powerful stuff! Does your firm’s mission statement do this? There is no shortage of great mission statements to examine. Tesla’s mission is “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” The popular car company sees itself as more than a product or symbol – they are aiming to achieve a better, cleaner future for the entire world. In fact, many see Tesla as just one piece of Elon Musk’s greater mission, which he sums up nicely on SpaceX’s mission page:
“You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great – and that’s what being a spacefaring civilization is all about. It’s about believing in the future and thinking that the future will be better than the past. And I can’t think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars.” The motivational potential of this mission is through the roof – when you are working for Musk you are partaking in something much bigger than yourself. It is not hard to see why so many bright and ambitious people want to work in his companies. Now is a great time to take a look at your company and ask yourself, does your mission
See SETH CARLTON, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 5, 2021, ISSUE 1386
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