How to write a clear, memorable mission statement

Summary

Chris Erickson takes on one of the most common mission statement problems: length and ambiguity. If a mission reads like a paragraph, people won’t remember it, or they’ll cherry-pick the parts they like. He reads a jargon-packed example to make the point, then explains why statements like it can’t guide daily action.

Highlights

• A mission statement that reads like a paragraph is too long.
• Long statements get forgotten or cherry-picked.
• Mission and vision statements have to guide daily action.

Key insights

Short enough to remember

A mission only guides people if they can recall it. Length works against that.

Jargon hides meaning

Buzzwords like leverage, holistic, and customer-centric fill space without saying what the company does.

Detailed analysis

The example sounds familiar because statements like it are everywhere. Each phrase sounds reasonable, but together they say nothing specific, so nobody can act on them. Cutting to a short, plain sentence forces the team to decide what actually matters.

Conclusion

Write a mission people can remember and use. If it needs a paragraph, keep cutting.