How to Best Formulate Yours
A mission statement is the core of the company, meaning that it tells the public the purpose as well as the goals of the company or organization. When you begin to get your creative juices flowing and formulate your mission statement, it is important to answer one simple question: “Why does our business exist?”
There is no need to fret when thinking of the perfect mission statement because in reality it is a short sentence or paragraph that gets straight to the point. You should make sure that when it is read by others, they are able to grasp the essence of your company right away.
Think of the “rule of three” when you are concocting your company’s mission statement: What, What, How
What does our company do to benefit our customers and employees?
What does our company do to help the community we live in and/or the world around us?
How does our company achieve our objectives and why do we do what we do?
It is easy to confuse a mission statement with a vision statement and to avoid that conundrum, you need to understand the difference between the two. A mission statement will focus primarily on the “who” of your company as of right now. Therefore, you need to ask yourself, “Who are we, presently?” When it comes to the vision statement, you will be focusing on the future of your organization. With that being said, you will answer questions like, “Where are we going?” or “Where do we want to be in the future?”
They help articulate the goals of the company to its employees. Employees can look to the mission statement for guidance on why they should execute their best work and be inspired to uphold the standards of the company.
They help employees understand the company culture. Mission statements define the values and fundamental principles of the company, and if your employees are reminded of how to continually bring success to the company, they will feel satisfaction in being a part of something great.
They guide your company’s decisions. Mission statements give your company assistance on the direction of your business. They remind you of the company’s core values and purpose; help you focus on why you started in the first place; and, decide how you should go about making decisions that will affect your company’s future.
Mission Statements from Some of The Most Successful Companies
Google – “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
LinkedIn – “To connect the world’s professionals and make them more productive and successful.”
Facebook – “To give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”
Twitter – “To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.”
Coca-Cola – “To refresh the world…To inspire moments of optimism and happiness…To create value and make a difference.”
Whole Foods Market –“Our deepest purpose as an organization is helping support the health, well-being, and healing of both people — customers, Team Members, and business organizations in general — and the planet.”
Walmart –“We save people money so they can live better.”
As you can see, each of these companies’ mission statements gives the public and their employees a direct understanding of who they are, what they do, and how they accomplish greatness.
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