THE DIRECTIVE MISSION:
A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE

It is instructive to examine the published mission statements of well-known organizations using this Directive Mission concept as a critique. However, the difficulties that some such organizations have been facing recently may indeed be partially related to a faulty, inadequate or altogether missing mission statement and an inadequate or non-existent mission deployment process.

An actual, randomly selected organizational mission statement was chosen for examination. The following mission statement for Johnson and Johnson was captured from the company’s website in 2002. Some relevant comments and observations are included. The reader is urged to critique their own organization in a similar manner.

J&J Credo

Directive Mission Check

We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses, and patients, to mothers and fathers, and all others who use our products and services. In meeting their needs everything we do must be of high quality. We must constantly strive to reduce our costs in order to maintain reasonable prices. Customers' orders must be serviced promptly and accurately. Our suppliers and distributors must have an opportunity to make a fair profit.

We are responsible to our employees, the men and women who work with us throughout the world. Everyone must be considered as an individual. We must respect their dignity and recognize their merit. They must have a sense of security in their jobs. Compensation must be fair and adequate, and working conditions clean, orderly, and safe. We must be mindful of ways to help our employees fulfill their family responsibilities. Employees must feel free to make suggestions and complains. There must be equal opportunity for employment, development and advancement for those qualified. We must provide competent management and their actions must be just and ethical.

We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work, and to the world community as well. We must be good citizens - and support good works and charities and bear our fair share of taxes. We must encourage civic improvements and better health and education. We must maintain in good order the property we are privileged to use, protecting the environment and natural resources.

Our final responsibility is to our stockholders. Business must make a sound profit. We must experiment with new ideas. Research must be carried on, innovative programs developed and mistakes paid for. New equipment must be purchased, new facilities provided and new products launched. Reserves must be created to provide for adverse times. When we operate according to these principles the stockholders should realize a fair return.

Source: www.jnj.com

What:
High quality products and services needed by doctors, nurses, patients, mothers and fathers.

For Whom:

First, for the doctors, nurses, and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services.
Second for our employees
Third to our communities
Last to our stockholders
Our suppliers and distributors

How:

By offering prompt and accurate services
By having everything be of high quality
By reducing cost
By considering employees as individuals who dignity is respected and recognizing their merit
Through fair and adequate compensation
By supporting good works and charities
By protecting the environment
By experimenting with new ideas, carrying on research, developing innovative programs, making and paying for mistakes, buying new equipment, providing new facilities, launching new products and creating reserves for adverse times.

Why:

To meet customer needs
To meet community responsibilities
To have the stockholder realize a fair profit

Over the years, Johnson & Johnson’s 50-year old Credo has received much attention and acclaim. It is unique in that it puts customers first, and stockholders last…yes, it does mention the stockholder! J & J apparently understood that both putting the customer first and still paying attention to the stockholder were essential elements of the firm’s enviable long-term success.

The Johnson & Johnson Credo is a good example of a Directive Mission Statement in that it sets boundaries and gives direction and guidance. This one-page document outlines responsibilities in great detail in order to have them applied as part of the everyday J & J business philosophy. This was true in 1943 and is still true today. It is indeed a Directive Mission model that is worth emulation.

The J & J Directive Mission could have been slightly improved through the addition of a descriptor of the services that J & J will supply. To make this criticism clear, recognize that the people served by J & J obviously need health insurance, tax advice, office equipment, lawn mowers, etc. Hopefully J & J does not intend to develop or acquire and market these products and services with a Johnson & Johnson label as being consistent with offerings that are “needed by doctors, nurses, patients, mothers and fathers.”

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THE DIRECTIVE MISSION: A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE

THE DIRECTIVE MISSION:
A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE