Inbound Organization

Chapter 5Start with Your Mission

In the first chapters of this book, we have made the case that there has been a fundamental change in the way buyers seek solutions to their problems. Inbound organizations think about the implications of these changes and create an appropriate mission to define the company's purpose.

A mission is a one- or two-sentence description of a company's business goals, philosophy, and what the company stands for. A mission defines what that organization is and why it exists. It explains to employees, prospects, and customers what the organization is trying to do.

What Is Your WHY?

Developing a meaningful mission can be challenging. Historically, companies tend to define their mission in nonspecific, internally oriented, and overly simplistic terms that make these statements sound generic. Some leaders focus on short-term problems rather than creating a mission that reflects the long-term direction of the company. Some mission statements are so full of buzzwords and jargon that they become nonsensical. Some companies don't even take the time to create a mission and leave it to employees to make it up as they go along.

Inbound organizations are very clear on the WHY of their business. A WHY could include the reason the business started or the reason it currently exists, or what it hopes to do in the future. In traditional organizations, the WHY often defaults to doing more business or attaining a certain level of profitability, or reflects the personal ...