A Milestone and Some Thoughts on Mission Statements

Published May 2, 2025

A Milestone and Some Thoughts on Mission Statements

Filer image element — *Photo: Scott Faulkner*

Ten years ago today, on May 2, 2015, I stepped down as executive director of the Reno Chamber Orchestra (RCO). It feels impossible that it’s been a decade already, but such is the nature of the passage of time – the more of it that passes, the faster it goes. I am grateful for my time helming the RCO, and that I remain a musician in this vibrant organization. Since my departure from the C-Suite (which of course is a laughable notion when you work in a one-room office), I have been fortunate to be a lot of different things, among them: musician, teacher, consultant, mentor, coach, writer, board member, as well as runner, wine and scotch taster, traveler, record collector, husband, step-father/grandfather, and friend. I have a cool, charmed, diverse and blessed life, and if I take it for granted or complain about it, I shouldn’t. At the time I left my job, I wrote a column for the Reno Gazette-Journal, identifying ten of the many lessons I learned while in the position. Since I still believe them all to be true, I’ll share them with you here.

Since much of my life over the last ten years and more has been working with, in, and for non-profit organizations, I tend to think about them a lot. Perhaps THE key component of a non-profit charitable organization is its mission. What does it do and why does it do it? The answer to this question determines whether an organization qualifies for tax-exempt status from the IRS and is often displayed in a statement or series of statements. Lately, I have been giving thought to mission (and vision) statements. Although there are a billion websites with insightful thinking about this topic, in the spirit of my ten-lessons-learned from a decade ago, here are some thoughts I have about mission statements:

Describes and reflects the core work of the organization. At its simplest, a mission statement tells what your organization does. League of American Orchestras CEO Simon Woods astutely says that traditional mission statements are often more about activity, while modern ones tend to be more about impact.
Memorable and memorize-able is best. Mission statements should be poetry and not prose. While they do reflect and sometimes enumerate what your organization does, there is power in concision. I find that two or three elements are about the right number. Members of organizations with long mission statements can’t remember them and therefore can’t easily share them with others when they preach that organization’s gospel. And get right to it. Flabby mission statements waste words before unveiling the meat. “The mission of the XYZ Orchestra is to endeavor to produce …. blah, blah, blah.” Instead say, “The XYZ Orchestra blanks.”
Narrow and Broad. Mission statements should be narrow enough to be descriptive and broad enough not to handcuff or limit activity. This approach keeps an organization from having to change its mission statement when it makes minor shifts in activity.
Inspiring and aspirational. The best mission statements zing the reader with a goosebump or two and a sense of wow.
Words mean things. This is one of my ten lessons learned from 2015. Choose words carefully. Be aware of each one you use and have a purpose in selecting it. Use familiar words (nothing a person needs to look up).
Deploy powerful verbs. Beware adverbs and adjectives. Choose a more potent verb or noun instead.
Conversations help. Committees paralyze. I’m fairly certain that there is a board room in Hell where a committee meeting is underway with a too-large group of smart, committed, well-intentioned, opinionated folks parsing, polishing, and word-smithing a mission statement to death for eternity. Get input from individuals. Provide options to the decision-making body. Get feedback and pushback. But don’t ask a group of people to create a mission statement out of thin air. When this happens, it’s like the old saw “a camel is a horse designed by a committee.” The statement will likely be too long with growths and additions that some powerful person(s) insisted on, and it will take forever to get to it.
Mission must align with vision. Mission is what we do to get to our vision. In some situations, I think that these two things can almost be the same. The Gandhi quotation, “be the change you want to see in the world” comes to mind. I’m intrigued by the idea of a hybrid Purpose Statement, which accomplishes both goals in one swoop.
Avoid superlatives. This is one of my pet peeves. In orchestra mission statements the subjective phrase “music of the highest quality” often appears. I’m sorry, but unless you are the Berlin Phil, your orchestra won’t be doing this. High quality, yes. Highest quality, probably not. And don’t get me started on the question: What is quality?
Mission statements are rarely harmful, but a good one is helpful. There are a whole lot of mission statements in the world. I’m not aware of one that is illegal, untrue (except for the Podunk Symphony Orchestra playing music of “the highest quality”), or destructive. A good mission statement informs and inspires. A bad one is simply ignored or lived around.

For-profit companies, especially the really successful ones, often have inspiring mission statements. Notice they don’t always spell out exactly what widget that company produces. Here are a few I like:

Google
“Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Nike
“To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

Microsoft
“To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

Starbucks
“With every cup, with every conversation, with every community—we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.”

The Seattle Symphony
“The Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together, and lifts the human spirit.”

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Vision: “Great music in every life.”
Mission: “To engage, enrich, and inspire through unparalleled live musical experiences.”

League of American Orchestras
Vision: “A thriving future for orchestras and their communities that celebrates creativity, artistry, and inclusion.”
Mission: “To champion the vitality of music and the orchestral experience, support the orchestra community, and lead change boldly.”

One I don’t love (yes, it’s a real mission statement, but I didn’t want to name names): “The XYZ Orchestra’s mission is to foster and maintain an organization dedicated to the making of music consonant with the highest aspirations of the musical art, creating performance and providing educational and training programs at the highest level of excellence.”

Ten years down the road from my time running the Reno Chamber Orchestra, I don’t have a personal mission statement. Perhaps I should. I’ll get a committee right on that.

Scott Faulkner is principal bassist of the Reno Phil and the Reno Chamber Orchestra. From 2001-2015 he served as executive director of the RCO. For the League of American Orchestras, he is the faculty director of its Essentials of Orchestra Management program, which takes place at Julliard in July, as well as director of its Alumni Network.