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Dear ,
Hello! I'm trying out an old email format I used to send. Research says that plain-text emails are more effective than templates, but I like the way this one looks. And, besides, changing things up every now and then feels good. (For the record, plain text is definitely the way to go most of the time).
This week I thought I'd tell you about a term I heard recently:
The most aggressive form of the truth.
Hostile, though it may sound, it is a description of how budding journalists are sometimes taught to create headlines: use the most aggressive form of the truth. When it comes to news outlets competing for eyeballs, bold headlines are intended to draw us in. Say what you will about any of today’s media, but delivering the essence of a story in a few carefully selected words is a skill and it's how articles get attention.
When it comes to your organizational (or business) mission, are you able, in relatively few words, to distill it down to the very heart of your work? Can you grab the attention of your community by articulating the most aggressive form of the truth about what you do?
You probably have a mission statement and, if it’s like most I’ve seen, it’s a perfectly appropriate compilation of wordy jargon that means very little to very few. Like this example:
"It is our mission to continue to authoritatively provide access to diverse services to stay relevant in tomorrow's world."
Say what, now?
If your statement looks like the one above - or if it's simply due for a refresh - try thinking about it like a journalist. If your mission statement were a headline to the entire story of your brand, what most aggressive form of the truth would deliver the news?
A great mission statement can save your organization a lot of time and effort by: helping with decision making, creating alignment and focus for your team, and doubling as fodder for marketing. That's why I created a workbook for crafting mission and vision statements that make an impact. It's available for sale on my website but I'm attaching it here for free for being a subscriber.
Go ahead and download it if you haven't already.
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