Poor mission statements expose the cracks
When mission, vision, and values are wrong, the problem isn’t the wording. Chris Erickson on how they expose deeper issues with alignment, strategy, and leadership.
Summary
Chris Erickson sets up what mission, vision, and values are for: the clearest expression of why a company exists, where it’s going, and how it behaves. When they’re wrong, the problem goes deeper than the words. It points to issues with alignment, strategy, and leadership.
Highlights
- Mission is why you exist, vision is where you’re going, and values are how you behave.
- They should be the clearest expression of who a company is.
- When they’re wrong, they reveal deeper problems.
Key insights
A symptom, not the disease
A bad mission statement is rarely a writing problem. It usually means the company isn’t aligned on what it is.
Three questions in one
Why, where, and how are the questions every team needs answered. These foundations are where the answers live.
Detailed analysis
This framing changes how teams approach a rewrite. Polishing the language won’t help if leaders disagree on direction or strategy is unclear. The words are a diagnostic: if they don’t ring true, look at what sits underneath them.
Conclusion
Treat weak foundations as a signal. Fix the alignment, and the words get easier.
Mission, vision, and values should be the clearest expression of why you exist, where you’re going, and how you behave. When they’re wrong, it exposes deep issues with alignment, strategy, and leadership.