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From the “Maybe this isn’t the best way to make your case” department, comes this story (link to full story is here):

Big Three auto CEOs flew private jets to ask for taxpayer money

Some lawmakers lashed out at the CEOs of the Big Three auto companies Wednesday for flying private jets to Washington to request taxpayer bailout
money.

“There is a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington, D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hand, saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses,” Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, told the chief executive officers of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors at a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee.

“It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious.”

He added, “couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it.”

To be fair, the CEOs appeared to be just following their company’s standard operating procedures for executive travel. And a case could be made as well to justify such travel on the basis of safety, efficiency, etc. But that’s not the point. The point is that it appears little or no thought was given as to how their actions lined up with their mission.

So, to break this down, here was:

Their mission: To travel to Washington, and convince lawmakers that desperate times call for desperate measures (meaning, we’re poor and in need of taxpayer money to survive).

Their strategy: Follow standard operating procedure, traveling to and from Washington on private jets.

Hmmm…

Now it’s easy to be an armchair critic here, but this is such a great example of how programmatic action can undermine your mission.

What message are you sending by your actions? Do your actions advance your mission, or undermine it? How clear is the connection between your mission and strategy?

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