I don’t work for Lyft but I know the company’s mission better than many people know their own company’s own mission statement.
Mission statements serve as a company’s North Star, pointing everyone in one direction. A short, powerful and consistent mission also helps the company decide on which initiatives to follow, and which to pass on.
If you don’t know Lyft’s mission statement, visit the company’s social media platforms or read interviews with the company’s co-founders or its senior leaders. They weave it seamlessly into the conversation. That tells me the company spokespeople have internalized it and own it.
When Lyft shares began trading to the public, CNBC aired the first interview with co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green. They said Lyft’s mission is to:
Improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation.
It’s the same mission that investors heard repeatedly during the company’s IPO road show. The first slide—right after the legal disclaimer—contained one sentence. It read: Improve People’s Lives With the World’s Best Transportation.
The company’s prospectus has 10 references to the mission, followed by more details and explanations of what it means and why it’s important for the company’s future growth. For example, the company explains that it improves people’s lives “in three ways” embracing social, economic and environmental benefits.
In an interview that ran on Forbes.com last month, Lyft’s CMO, Joy Howard, said “Our mission, ‘improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation,’ inspires imminent action. It puts people first. And because Lyft has a diverse community of drivers, riders, and employees, we have to think about our impact in a meaningful way and act to support the communities we serve.”
Howard says that 93% of Lyft’s employees say they come to work because of Lyft’s focus on social and environmental impact.
People are motivated by a company’s overarching mission, but all too often a company’s leaders do a poor job of articulating the mission consistently and explaining how their actions reinforce the mission.
Start with your social media platforms. Is your mission consistently displayed? On Twitter, Lyft ties its mission into new initiatives. In this post, for example, Lyft announced: “Improving people’s lives with the world’s best transportation calls for more than just cars — that’s why we’re adding bikes and scooters to the Lyft family.”
You can find similar references on Lyft’s blog, Facebook profile and other social media platforms. That’s consistency.
In one recent survey, 65% of job hunters said they visit a company’s website or social media pages “to get a feel for the company’s mission and culture.” Is your mission clear and consistent across social media, your presentations, and your conversations? Lyft understands that consistency makes a difference.