Page 202 - Performance Leadership

Chapter 11 The Return of the Mission Statement • 191

F igur e 11.1
The Mission Statement Reconciles the Social and Values Dimensions

External Self- Self
Perception Perception

Analytical
Dimension
Social Values
Dimension Dimension
Operational
Dimension

Transparency Alignment Authenticity
Mission

services out of fashion. Misalignment between the values dimension
and the social dimension is very common. Both dimensions may pro-
vide different, even opposite, guidance to the operational and analyti-
cal dimensions. It is good that the performance leadership framework
creates this tension because the tension exists in reality and needs to
be addressed. But the differences need to be reconciled, a synthesis has
to be found, and a way forward to satisfy both the organization and its
stakeholders has to be created. This is the task of the organization’s mis-
sion statement. See Figure 11.1.
Before industrialization most businesses were mission oriented. 1
Craftsmen were personally responsible for the quality of their work; and
even when businesses grew, the owner would oversee business per-
sonally. This changed during the Industrial Revolution. The mission
orientation was replaced by system goals, which are described in terms
of survival, efficiency, control, and, most noticeably, growth. Systems
goals are preferred by professional managers who are often not
grounded in the business in which they work. Efficiency and control
are concepts that can be used to run any kind of business. And growth
is a goal that opens up promotion capabilities. However, systems goals,