In contemplating both the relevance and utility of a mission statement, I/we have hesitated to resort to the typically hyperbolic declaratives that afflict even the most mundane business.

In the painting industry, 'Sober and On Time' might pass for inspiration but the intellectual giants who walk these halls seek a more noble truth.

Tom Watson, Jr, the founder of IBM, summarized their corporate 'basic beliefs' as follows:

• Respect for the individual: for the dignity and rights of each person in the organization.
• Customer service: to provide the best service of any company in the world.
• Excellence: the conviction that an organization should pursue all tasks with the objective of accomplishing them in a superior way.

So with thanks to Tom, we will be appropriating these beliefs as they nicely synthesize our own perspectives and purposes.