I've been involved in many mission statement writing exercises. I'm not convinced it's worth the effort. Two reasons.
They are so often vague, as you note. They very seldom articulate anything that another group could also say (see Michigan vs Indiana State!).
More fixable (yet seldom fixed) is asking "If we fulfill our mission, how would we observe it?" That would give shape and meaning to a mission statement. Yet, most orgs are reluctant to do that difficult work.
I've been involved in many mission statement writing exercises. I'm not convinced it's worth the effort. Two reasons.
They are so often vague, as you note. They very seldom articulate anything that another group could also say (see Michigan vs Indiana State!).
More fixable (yet seldom fixed) is asking "If we fulfill our mission, how would we observe it?" That would give shape and meaning to a mission statement. Yet, most orgs are reluctant to do that difficult work.
Good stuff!