Corporate mission statements are an interesting phenomenon. Their point is to encapsulate the organisation's essence and purpose, its raison d'etre. At the theoretical level it is supposed to be a concise rallying cry calling the employees to join in joint endeavour. It's also supposed to reach out to the great world beyond, to the general public, the consumer and other stakeholders, telling them what the organisation is about. Ideally it also encapsulates, enhances, and reinforces brand.
That's the theory. At a practical level things never work out quite so neatly. There's usually a big gap between realworld Inc. and the empyrean rhetoric of the corporate wordsmiths who write these statements. History shows that honing the proposition is one mighty challenge.
Let's take a small stroll down memory lane. Here's the mission statement of the Ringling Brothers Circus from c. 1900:
It is a sign of the times: the 2005 New Oxford American Dictionary word of the year is....Podcast. In trendy tech marketing circles podcasting is the new blogging. As everyone knows Podcasting is the production of audio and video clips for downloading to a personal audio or video player and perusal by podcast aficionados.
It is easy to dismiss podcasting as the latest over-hyped internet fad, but the statistics tell another story. Podcasting is fast becoming a normal part of communications culture. In the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 there will be a category for the most downloaded podcast. The Ricky Gervais Show racked up 260,000 downloads a week in the first month it was available. In three months the figure had jumped to two million.
That is a lot of advertising potential. Not surprising then that podcasting ad networks are springing up everywhere. PodTrac and Kiptronics are two recent additions, both launched in January, within 24 hours of each other.
As with blogging, the rapid proliferation of podcasting across the ether has created both challenges and opportunities. One is visibility. It is estimated that there are over 25,000 podcasts on the web today. Six months ago, that figure was a humble 10,000.
Podcast users employ numerous tools to navigate through this brave new world containing thousands of podcasts. Downloading a podcasting management programme like Juice [click here], is one method. The software informs users when interesting podcasts are broadcast. Users can also manage and download podcasts to mobile devices. To get a feel for the available podcasts, check out a website such as www.podcast.net.
Podcasting is on a steep growth curve. Inevitably some new technology - maybe one already out there - will knock it off the top of the internet marketing fashion charts. Podcasts are likely though to remain potent marketing tools for some time to come. So writing their obituary may be a bit premature.
For lovers of cheap telecomm services, Skype 2.0, the latest version of the peer-to-peer voice service over the internet (or internet telephony) is here.
What's new? Better voice quality for a start says Skype. But there is more. There's one-to-one video too. While video conferencing is nothing new, Skype's growing popularity -- over 250 million downloads -- means that video conversations are likely to become widespread, adding another dimension to business communication.
When in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell summoned his assistant by telephone with the words "Watson, come here I want you" he didn't have to pay for the call. Watson was just a floor below Bell, who'd just had an accident with some acid. Still it was the birth of telephony. What would either make of Skype?
Blogspotting is Business Week magazine's online blog tracking section. Recently spotted: BW journalist Heather Week's contribution to a tech-focused Haiku competition. Her entry:
Blogs, oh, bloggy blogs
ever changing, ever new,
Now video, blog
IBM have cut down the word count a little, but not much: "At IBM, we strive to lead in the invention, development and manufacture of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, storage systems and microelectronics. We translate these advanced technologies into value for our customers through our professional solutions, services and consulting businesses worldwide."
A more popular option, seen as having greater oomph is the one-liner, maybe with a list of tagged-on values. Way back in the 1950s Sony wanted to "become the company most known for changing the worldwide poor-quality image of Japanese products". The Ford Motor Company proudly proclaimed at the turn of the 20th century that it would "democratize the automobile". It succeeded. Innovation outfit 3M's statement is, not surprisingly, about making unknowns knowable: "To solve unsolved problems innovatively."
Are mission statements a waste of time? Are they earnest and honest aspirations or just verbal garbage? Tricky. But for those businesses out there without mission statements, who enviously eye Disney's "we create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment to people of all ages, everywhere" but haven't the time, the patience or the inclination to write their own try this: www.workplacetoolbox.com
Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones, authors of the McKinsey Award winning Harvard Business Review article, "Why should anyone be led by you?" have a new book of the same title out (Harvard Business School Press, 2006). Goffee and Jones are best known for their thoughts on authentic leadership. This concept has recently gained ground in leadership theory. But what does it mean? As Goffee and Jones explained in a recent interview with Idea-Log, it has got a lot do with the signals that leaders send to their followers.
What are the implications - at a very practical level - for those who aspire to leadership? What do they need to know and do?
Goffee: The answer is simple, deceptively simple, in fact: to become a more effective leader, you must be yourself - more - with skill.
Look at Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin boss, and the way he uses his physical appearance - casual dress, long hair and a beard - to convey the informality and non-conformity which has become a central part of his leadership and, indeed, the Virgin brand. Followers want to be led by a person - not a role holder or a position-filler or a bureaucrat.
The leaders we studied were very adept at deploying their differences in ways that attract followers. Richard Branson's differences signify a message; they are authentic - not falsely manufactured; and they are seen by others. We are talking, then, not of any personal difference but of an artful and authentic display - often fine tuned over many years - of genuine differences which have the potential to excite others. It works for Richard Branson because he is being himself, but it won't work for anyone else. The question is not: Why should anyone be led by Richard Branson?; it is why should anyone be led by you? Each of us must find our own answer.
The torrent of email revealed by the survey ties in with another study of 1,100 participants - for tech giant Hewlett Packard. This revealed a really troubling problem. Some people are becoming addicted to email and text messages. Workers with the problem exhibited a number of traits: they checked work messages at home or on holiday (62 per cent); they always responded to an email "immediately" or as soon as possible (over 50 per cent); while a hard core minority (21 per cent) confessed they would interrupt a meeting to respond to an email.
Sound familiar eh? If it does, you need help fast as you're probably suffering from "infomania". It's no laughing matter. Dr Glenn Wilson, the University of London psychologist who carried out the study mentioned above at the Institute of Psychiatry, found excessive use of technology reduces workers' intelligence.
The infomaniacs showed a drop in IQ test performance. This was bigger than that of recreational drug users. In fact those distracted by incoming messages experienced a ten point fall in their IQ. This figure is twice that found in studies of marijuana smokers.
Those who need a good eight hours sleep should also watch out; If you constantly leave tasks so as to react to email or text messages you are inflicting similar effects on the mind as losing a night's sleep.
The cure is real easy though. All this new technology - emails and text messaging - can improve productivity. But there is an age-old paradigm called the Law of Diminishing Returns. Don't forget there is a time to switch off the computers and the phones - and yourself.
When you are talking to someone, watch out for the person who repeats what you say, demonstrating in a subtle way to you that they are listening; who offers attentive nods and throws in an occasional "yes". They are probably studied in the art of active listening.
Active listening has its origins in the work of US psychologist Carl Rogers (1902 - 1987) and his client-centred approach to therapy, in which the therapist "supports" rather than "directs" the client.
During the five week elective, students learn about decision making at the Churchill Museum in the Cabinet War Rooms, beneath Whitehall in London. They also pay a visit to the National Portrait Gallery and, with the help of an art historian, decode images of leaders.
In one exercise they get an up-close and personal taste of conflict resolution and negotiation. "We got a leading theatre facilitator and a former hostage negotiator, went to a West End theatre, hired the rehearsal room, and dealt with the theme of conflict," says course designer Professor Clive Holtham, director of the Cass learning laboratory.
It may seem like fun and games, but when it comes to unconventional approaches to learning there is method in the madness. Business should pay attention.
