Effective Planning

Can planning be effective without a mission statement? This has been by far the most difficult question to get a clear concise answer. There have been so many differences of opinion; the actual question has been broken down into just a bunch of questions regarding just the mission statement. I played my part in this to; I'm not pointing any fingers. So I hate to beat a dead horse but I have to satisfy my DQ requirements.

Taking this question as it is stated; of course you can be effective without a mission statement. This answer is supported by this weeks reading. "Planning is the conscious, systematic process of making decisions about goals and activities that an individual, group, work unit, or organization will pursue in the future." I would like to emphasize on individual, as I have tendency to plan out everything. I myself do not have a mission statement and most of my plans are effective. When simply dealing with a regular plan you don't need