If you are a small company or a startup, it does not mean you should negate a company mission statement. By creating a mission statement you give you company focus, reason for existence, or you will fall into the trap of operating for the sake of operating and burn out yourself and your staff quickly.
Let’s look at the purpose of a Mission statement. A mission statement describes:
- Why does the company exist
- What is the reason for our organization’s existence
- What products and services the company provides
- And who is the target audience
Here is the formula for creating a good mission statement.
<What you do + Whom you serve + How you do it + your reason for doing it>
Let’s look at some good examples from some successful companies:
Ford: “To make people live better by making mobility accessible and affordable.”
- Make people’s lives better
- Make mobility accessible
- Make mobility affordable
Google: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
- To organize
- Make information accessible and useful
Disney: “To entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.”
- To entertain, inform and inspire
- Unparalleled storytelling
- Iconic brands and innovative technologies
- To becomTe the world’s premier entertainment company
Here are some not so good mission statements:
- To create a shopping experience that our customers are pleased with; to create a workplace that provides opportunities and a great working environment for our associates, and a business that achieves financial success.“
Error: it is pretty challenging to state the type of business. This is a grocery chain business, but it does not mention what the company does
- “To ensure every brand becomes more inspiring, and the world more intelligent,“
Error: What business is this? A label making company >> Too big
- “Our mission and goal are to operate the best specialty retail business in America, regardless of the product we sell.“
Error: this is a bookstore chain. The problem with this mission statement is, “regardless of the product we sell.” it spells indifference of your product and sounds like you don’t care
In conclusion
A well written Mission statement compliments the vision statement. The vision statement states where you want to be in the future. A mission state the purpose of your organization’s existence, who you are, what your provide and how you intend to achieve the future state identified in the vision statement.
Create your mission statement today and guide your organization to the future state.
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