Now That's A Mission Statement

Taken at the customer service station at a Gelson's supermarket in Westlake Village, California. 

I don't usually get excited about company mission statements, but this one is absolute genius.  It is nothing like most mission statements I come across which are usually vague, ambling platitudes approved by an upper management committee after having gone through half a million dollar six month consulting project which end up describing things the company is trying to do, but leave you feeling uninspired and like anybody could have said it.  

Here's an example found on missionstatements.com from a supermarket chain called Albertsons:

"Guided by relentless focus on our five imperatives, we will constantly strive to implement the critical initiatives required to achieve our vision. In doing this, we will deliver operational excellence in every corner of the Company and meet or exceed our commitments to the many constituencies we serve. All of our long-term strategies and short-term actions will be molded by a set of core values that are shared by each and every associate."

Huh?  Forgettable, uninspiring and I have no idea what it means.  Plus, it completely misses the point of a mission statement, which is to focus all the company's energy and resources toward accomplishing a specific goal.

What makes the Gelson's mission statement so great is:

It clearly defines what they're trying to do:  "To make shopping anywhere else unacceptable."  This tells every employee exactly what the company is trying to achieve and what's expected of each of them every day.  

It's specific.  It states how they are going to win: Through "quality products, cleanliness, convenience and personal service"

It defines an enemy: "shopping anywhere else"

It's memorable.  It's short and to the point.

It's fantastically inspiring because it's so ambitious.  It doesn't just set out to beat the competition or provide a "superior" experience.  They aim to make the competitors experience unacceptable.  

Finally, it's visible.  The sign is right out in front of all the registers in plain sight for all their employees and customers to see. 

Comments

[Gareth]

without a doubt the best mission statement i have seen. great find. hope you're well.

[mabrugnolo]

Annnd... it probably was written by the owner, who is the marketer of his own business. What makes me think that, after many years evolving our techniques and our strategies toward of how to better be 'relevant' and impactful... that we missed the hand, and now we are looking back, and thinking: yeah, less is more.
Greaat post David.
Your blog is the most inspiring among alll others, to me. \o/