STATEMENT OF INTENTION
Insights from Basecamp
Can you say it in a few words?
Abraham Lincoln, famously known for many things, had an excellent ability to communicate and an affinity for telling fascinating stories. However, he was also described as a quiet and reserved person. The most unique thing about this “man of few words” was that the few words he did speak, made a tremendous impact.
It’s one thing to talk about exceptional service and experiences in theory, but it’s another to actually practice it. And even more difficult is the task of wrapping that inspiring and unique service, experience, and value into a few simple, yet impactful words.
Statement of Intention vs. Mission Statement
A mission statement is generally developed as an outbound message to clients and prospects. It is a “wrap up” of your value proposition. Unlike a mission statement, your statement of intention is something that is used as an internal symbol, or reminder, to yourself and your team about what you are doing and why you are doing it.
Why not just use our mission statement with staff? Your mission statement won’t reflect the core connection you and your team have to your business. Even for an outbound message, a traditional mission statement is often hidden in an overabundance of “content fluff,” leaving a client or prospect guessing if it is truly a genuine statement – because it sounds a lot like “the other guy’s mission statement, too.” Imagine how internal team members would feel about trying to relate to an already complex message. You may find that a statement of intention would serve as a more impactful template for mission statements also.
Drilling down into your true value and exposing the heart of your business in just a few simple words can have much more impact than something complex and “fluffy.” Today, value is found in clear, concise, and genuine messaging. Thus, this approach to messaging should not only be used for your internal culture, but it should also be considered for the development of your outbound messaging.
Here are a few examples of breaking away the coating and getting right to the heart of purpose. These are internal statements of intention, but you can begin to develop an understanding of how outbound mission statements can be developed from this approach.
- JetBlue: Thank frequent customers with small gestures
- Tesla: Meet your customers where they are at
- Adobe: Respond to customer service complaints before they happen
- Trader Joe’s: Help those in a time of need
- Coca-Cola: Get involved in social causes
- Zappos: Personally reply to every email
Statement of Intention at Basecamp
Base Camp wholeheartedly believes in their Statement of Intention. This simple sentence was chosen as a collaboration between all members of the Base Camp team. The words were tweaked and adjusted until each team member felt the statement described a mission they felt truly connected to.
Put the needs of the Trek community at the center of every journey we build.
It is key to involve the entire team, otherwise it isn't a shared vision, but just a statement.
Where do you start?
Building a statement of intention for your mission and values can prove to be a difficult task. Remember, it isn’t just a statement. It has to resonate with you and your team, act as a guide for client experience and service expectations. In order to craft a compelling statement that your team culture can be built around, you must dig in and ask:
- What drives us to do what we do?
- Who are we serving?
- What challenges are we trying to solve?
- Why is our work important to each of us?
Use these questions as your start to build your statement. Everyone should write down things that meaningfully impact them, the team and the work they do. Then take these notes and start to combine them together in various combinations, creating multiple versions of the same statement until you get it just right, then let the team vote on which one that will help row that boat forward!
