Most business leaders fall into one of two camps. They either have a long-winded, flowery-language, say-nothing Mission Statement, or they don’t have one at all.
Some say everyone knows our goal. Others will tell you that making money for their clients is their Mission Statement.
As you most likely know, crafting a Mission Statement that reflects a firm's unique values and objectives is essential for communicating its purpose and approach to clients.
The Words That Matter Most
The Mission Statement provides a context or framework for formulating the company's strategies.
In my view, many Mission Statements are overly long, trite, boring, and not very compelling. On the other hand, some of the best Mission Statements are compact, convincing, and inspirational. From the corporate world, here are two standouts:
Google: To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.
The most effective mission statements are short and memorable. After all, isn’t the goal of a mission statement to set a mission for your practice that’s worth remembering?
Questions to Answer
If you want to invite memorization of yours, something that stands out and your client advocates will remember, consider writing a simple, clear six-word Mission Statement. Ernest Hemmingway, one of our greatest American short story writers, famously was asked to write a six-word short story. Here it is: "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn."
What makes his statement so compelling is that it leaves a lot to the imagination and that it is impossible to overlook or forget. Essentially, fewer words are better.
Breaking it down, someone bought or obtained baby shoes (notice how it can go either way) and never got the chance to use them, meaning a baby they expected to arrive (either by birth or adoption) never happened. We don’t know how or why. We can’t help but fill in the blanks. Because each word packs a powerful punch, the six words become difficult to forget.
That same economy and power of your words can inform and invite a more compelling Mission Statement.
Short and Sweet Mission Statements
What if you tried to create a Six-Word Mission Statement? I wrote a few for financial advisors, including:
Putting this into practice at ClientWise, we created the following mission statement for our company:
Get Clear. Get Focused. Get Results.
Coaching Questions
About ClientWise LLC
ClientWise is the premier business and executive coaching firm working exclusively with financial professionals. We specialize in helping clients optimize growth and maximize revenue by engaging as a knowledgeable partner in accomplishing specific and significant business results. Our full-service coaching program empowers financial advisors, wholesalers, managers and executives to enhance performance through customized, action-oriented solutions based on each client’s specific vision and situation.
Our certified coaches are members of the International Coach Federation (ICF). They adhere to ICF’s strict code of ethics and have the experience and insight to work with you on the unique challenges and opportunities you face each day.
Drawing from an in-depth knowledge of the financial industry, ClientWise’s mission is to professionally develop industry leaders and consistently raise the bar for industry service, commitment and integrity. Simply put, our singular focus is to help you get clear, get focused, and get results.