Words Are Important, But Actions Mean More
As planners, we spend a lot of time thinking about mission statements. Over the course of our consulting projects, we have helped develop well over 50 of them. It’s the starting point, the foundation, for all of our strategic plans. But why is your mission so important? Simply, because it defines your purpose, your reason for being, your why. It’s hard to figure out what you should be doing (your goals), if you don’t know why you’re doing them.
And in the two decades we’ve been pulling apart, cutting, rewriting, and wordsmithing missions, we’ve seen lots of changes. They’ve become more concise. They more quickly convey intent. They get to the point. Consider this example from a decade ago, clocking in at a verbose 85 words:
The Zoo will provide an enjoyable family experience which fosters understanding, respect and appreciation for wildlife, offer a variety of unique educational programs with a strong emphasis on conservation, be acknowledged as a culturally significant facility, be recognized for the excellence of our collection, programs, and exhibitry, be a leader & significant contributor to conservation of endangered & threatened species and conduct scientific research which supports and enhances the quality of animal and plant life, visitor experiences, education, and conservation at the Zoo and worldwide.
To this one that was recently unveiled:
Inspiring communities to save wildlife for future generations
Zoos and aquariums have gotten better at expressing through their mission statements why they exist and their focus on conservation (while not necessarily using that word). More and more of them highlight ‘saving wildlife’ as their core but also talk about the connection with people and their communities—one of our profession’s strongest differentiators from other conservation organizations. They also highlight the importance of conservation action by using words like inspire, promote, encourage, and motivate.
Are we really living our mission?
While coming up with a new mission is great and something we applaud, your new mission statement is only words. Research has shown that stronger mission statements were not linked to increased conservation practices.[1] If we’re really going to achieve what’s in there, we need to ‘walk the talk’ and start living our mission. As we said earlier, your mission is the starting point, the foundation for a larger plan. It’s a building block in a larger framework of what and how things get done. You need a vision: where you want to get to; your values: the beliefs that will get you there; and goals & objectives: your priorities of what will need to get done. All together it’s your strategic plan. A plan that can guide you to greater conservation impact by giving everyone—your board, staff, volunteers, and community—a common rallying call of why we’re here. Integrated strategic planning linking organizational mission to specific conservation activities will move an organization further on a continuum of conservation leadership.[2]
Should we all have the same mission?
We’ll leave you with one question to ponder: If we are all, or at least most of us, working towards the same conservation purpose, should we all have the same mission?
We say—Yes…and No. In most cases, your mission statement should have a conservation core: saving wildlife; protecting nature; preserving our natural world. But all communities, zoos, and aquariums have their unique assets which they can and should leverage and highlight. These differentiators should find their way into your mission statement. Whether it’s the power of your communities, your natural beauty, or your location, highlighting what makes your organization distinct will further elevate the power or your mission.
With our community and partners, we celebrate our natural wonders and inspire people to make a difference for aquatic life
The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.
If you haven’t taken a look at your mission in a while, it’s probably time. If you have, you need to make sure you’re practicing what you preach and making conservation action happen. Zoo Advisors has helped many of your colleagues—contact us to help you too.
[1] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/zoo.21557
[2] Ibid.
