A problem never exists in isolation; it is surrounded by other problems in space and time. The more of the context of a problem that a scientist can … - Russell L. Ackoff

A mission statement should define the business that the organization wants to be in, not necessarily what it is in.

The systems approach to problems focuses on systems taken as a whole, not on their parts taken separately. Such an approach is concerned with total- system performance even when a change in only one or a few of its parts is contemplated because there are some properties of systems that can only be treated adequately from a holistic point of view. These properties derive from the relationship between parts of systems: how the parts interact and fit together

A system is more than the sum of its parts; it is an indivisible whole. It loses its essential properties when it is taken apart. The elements of a system may themselves be systems, and every system may be part of a larger system.