This morning, I woke up wondering that my mission is. I am a freelance web designer. I create websites. I make them look good, I make feel good and I make them usable. I also take away technical headaches by dealing with technical tasks such as registering domain names, setting up hosting, email addresses, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, then I show people how to use it. Almost anything web-related, I do. I also answer questions and make suggestions when asked. Sometimes, I also help with things that have nothing to do with the web. So, what is my mission?
Forever, my personal answer has been “I help people”. I wish that the job title “Helper” would be recognize everywhere, but I understand how many people would abuse it. I know plenty of ways how I could abuse the trust that anybody has in me. A good way to know that I can be trusted is to know that I won’t abuse that trust. I haven’t been abusive yet, have I?
What is my mission?
I took a look at other company’s mission statements.
Google: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Microsoft: At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.
Apple: Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
Facebook: Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.
Twitter: discover the information that matters most to you as quickly as possible.
Adidas: The adidas Group strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with sports brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle.
Disney: The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world.
One thing to notice is that all these companies I listed are successful. They have had their share of hardship, they keep struggling and they are still standing.
Disney is the most interesting case to me, because their mission used to be “To make people happy”. That’s it. That’s beautiful. that’s unbelievably vague. But Disney has been successful at it.
Being vague is something every mission statement shares. None of them say how they will meet their goals or in which timeframe or with whom or for how long. They just state what they will do or intend to do.
So, back to me, what is my mission?
I help people.