title: What's in a word? A prism makes a good metaphor for our understanding of "mission".
abstract: An organization's mission and mission statement are distinctly different, though intimately related. A mission statement expresses what we do. Our mission expresses who we are. Although a mission statement's concept is usually easy to understand, the intangible idea of mission is often difficult to grasp. Many images have been used to illustrate an organization's mission; however, one image stands out above the rest: the prism. No matter where one places the prism, the light passing through has a different reflection. Each facet represents a different aspect of our ministry. When mission plays a critical role in our work, we know-no matter what particular work we do-that the work has been made sacred and changed to reflect the mission experience.
authors.affiliation: Catholic Healthcare Partners, Cincinnati, USA.
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D002410:Catholicism; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D016519:Hospitals, Religious / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D029181:Spirituality; D014481:United States