Mission, Visions, and Values, oh my

At work, my unit is determining our Mission and Vision statements and our Values. Yes, we are spending two hours every other week discussing what the mission of my unit is, spent time figuring out which words describe us the best, and sometime or other we will get to the vision statement.

Here's the funny thing. I really don't care. At the beginning of the process I made some remarks. Something along the lines of - every unit in our program can say that statement applies to them, so how is it our mission statement? I fought a couple of people on the issue, questioned others. But to be honest, I don't understand this process nor do I see the point. Is a mission or vision statement going to change how I do my job? No. Are they going to change how I explain my job to others? Nope. Is it going to have any effect on what, when, and how I do anything? Not a chance.

I don't even understand why we need a mission statement. I work for the department of public health. They have a mission statement. So does the tobacco control program. What use is going to be our little statement and is it worth all of this time?

So I've started keeping my mouth shut. Is that horrible? Maybe. However there are a few people in there that love this process and have a lots of ideas and want to talk. I say let them talk. They debate phrases and words. They jump around and say "A is great because the word ambitious is in there", but "I love talking about diversity, that word needs to be there too". Well, let them make the decision what my mission at work is. I'll read it, go "oh, I guess that is what I do" and then move on.

Today my boss picks me out in the middle of the meeting and said that I must say something (wait, doesn't the first amendment also apply to me not saying anything at all). She asked me how I described my work. I said - I manage contracts and I try to make tobacco uncool. Simple as that. Why do I need all of this "we lead and guide diverse local tobacco control projects to do this and that ambitious thing to create a happy and healthy CA."  She was unhappy with my response. Well, she shouldn't have put me on the spot like that.

But I've decided to write a mission for me. My mission today is: graduate from law school with no debt.

Easy peasy lemon squeey.