August 8 – 12, 2005, is ‘rerun week’ at The Artful Manager. While I’m on vacation, enjoy some favorite entries from the past.
So I get this pizza pan as a gift…I’m pro-pizza, to be sure. But when reading the promotional copy on the pizza pan, I find this:
Sensible and sublime, practical and whimsical, the objects envisioned by the world-renowned architect infuse our daily lives with joy.
Then I’m in Starbucks buying my mega-venti semi-caf no-foam mocha vanilla caramel latte and read this on the name badge of the attendant behind the counter:
Magic Moments: One human being at a time.
Then, I see a promotional flier for an Apple iPod:
What does music mean to you? Maybe it’s an escape from your daily grind. A place you go in your mind that is free, rebellious. A place where you get lost in stories of love. Joy. Pain. Rhythms and melodies that rush your blood. Make you drive faster. Walk quicker. Bob your head. Dance like a freak. Shake your head and spin. Or just close your eyes, smile, and remember when. It’s powerful stuff.
It used to be that the purpose and mission of nonprofit cultural organizations were unique in their communities. Other folks did the selling and crass service of consumer needs; we provided the more noble things in life. Nowadays, I can have my daily life ‘infused with joy’ by a pizza pan (it’s a nice pizza pan, I’ll admit), find ‘magic moments’ in a coffee-purchase experience, and be moved by the power of music by a fancy computer drive with headphones.
It may be time to pull out the old mission statements and crank them up a few notches. The big boys are swimming in our pool.
Coffee shop or cultural center, airline or art gallery, I’d be happier with less lofty or flowery mission statements and more delivery on the principles suggested by the mission statement.
I respectfully challenge any organization (profit or non-, cultural or “crass”) to pull out their STATEMENTS and RESIST the challenge to edit. Don’t change the statement, dig deep and ask “what does this look like?” “are we delivering on it? How? Cite examples at every level of the organization.” “What can we do today to deliver on this?”
Then, after a period of renewed commitment, go ahead and consider if the mission is still valid for your group and grab the red pencils if necessary.