Crafting a Mission Statement, Part 2 of 3

14 Apr Crafting a Mission Statement, Part 2 of 3

As with a vision statement or a unique selling proposition, it’s important to revisit the meaning of your mission statement periodically. Your organization’s priorities may likely have changed as a result of the uncertainty we’ve all experienced over the last year. We wanted to provide some guidance for crafting a mission statement for the times using what we’ve found to be an effective method following this straight-forward and inclusive guideline.

Mission vs. Vision…What’s the Difference?

A Mission Statement defines your company’s business, its objectives and the approach to reach them. Vision Statements describe the desired future position of the company. Elements of mission and vision statements are often combined to provide a statement of the company’s purposes, goals and values.

1^st – What is a Mission Statement?

An enduring declaration of purpose that identifies the scope of operations for products, services and markets. A mission statement embodies your organization’s values and priorities. Note: Mission statements can apply to corporations, divisions, programs, groups and even individuals.

2^nd – What are the key objectives of a mission statement?

An effective mission statement contains the following.

1. Combines Short-term objectives with long-term goals
2. Aids consistency in decision-making
3. Builds organizational unity
4. Enhances communication internally and externally, driving messaging, strategy and, for manufacturers, your product innovation charter
5. Helps enhance motivation to succeed by building unity around a common purpose

3^rd – What are the key components of an effective mission statement?

Include these elements in your mission statement.

1. Business goals and objectives
2. Customer satisfaction and quality positions
3. The core products you make and/or the services you provide
4. The key markets you serve, where they are and how you will reach them
5. The core technologies and/or innovations you provide as part of your products and/or services

4^th – How do we get started crafting a mission statement?

The process may be easier than you think and can be as simple as these five steps.

1. Examine mission statements you admire in the market place for their effectiveness and clarity
2. Create phrases embodying each component outlined in #3 above
3. Aim for simplicity and brevity, and combine phrases where possible
4. Refine and review
5. Approve and commit to a strong internal communication plan aimed at every employee

Examples of Mission Statements:

Tesla: “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”

Habitat for Humanity: “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope”

Google: “…to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” 

McDonalds: “Our mission is to make delicious, feel-good moments easy for everyone.”

Netflix: “We promise our customers stellar service, our suppliers a valuable partner, our investors the prospects of sustained profitable growth, and our employees the allure of huge impact.”

Nike: “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

If this is of interest, you may also enjoy our recent post Crafting a Vision Statement. Need help defining and articulating your mission? We can help. Email Rob Beachy at rbeachy@axiomcom.com.