If you search the word “mission” in Trade Press Service’s website search tool, you’ll find that the word appears in nearly every blog we’ve posted. That isn’t a coincidence. A company’s mission is one of the essential foundations of business success. Whether you’re a new entrepreneur in the business start-up phase or you’re polishing or rethinking your mission after years in business, we’ve compiled a short guide to help evaluate the strength of your mission statements.
By Definition
A mission statement is a concise statement that describes who you serve, what you do and how you do it. Ultimately, it reflects the “who,” “what” and “why” of your company. It should be short, easily understood and memorized by everyone in the organization. A well-written mission statement informs and guides the decisions, actions and communications of the organization. It also sets the stage for tone, brand and image. Some companies develop their mission statements around one or more of these four components:
- The product and service the company provides
- The target market to whom it aims to serve
- The challenges it proposes to solve
- The values that drive the aim to solve the marketplace’s needs
For example, here’s our mission statement: Trade Press Services provides results-focused content development, marketing, media and communications services to help companies achieve their growth goals.
Here are some additional examples:
- Microsoft: To help people around the world realize their full potential.
- Starbucks: To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
- Prezi: To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.
Developing Effective Mission Statements
While it sounds easy enough, writing a mission statement can be a difficult. Every concept and word matters. To start the process or evaluate how your current mission statement stacks up, ask the following questions:
- Why does your company exist? This is the paramount question the mission statement aims to answer. It will help you confirm the marketplace challenge or niche you plan to fulfill. Look at all angles without being too narrow or broad in scope.
- Why are you in business?
- What purpose do you serve?
- Who do you serve?
- What needs, issues or problems do you solve?
- What makes your company different from the rest? A mission statement should clearly capture what a company does, but also should dive further into what it does differently from the competition. Sometimes, this differentiation can come in the form of one or two adjectives that give your audiences that “a-ha” understanding.
- What separates your firm from the pack?
- What about that makes clients choose to work with you rather than the competition?
- Why is that difference important to your prospects and customers?
- What do you hope to inspire? Determine what the company aims to arouse in its employees, customers and prospects. Envision how you want people to feel, think and act toward your company. Consider the reputation you hope to uphold, the beliefs your company supports, and how those beliefs correlate to actions.
- What are your core values?
- What principles guide your work and actions?
- Why is that important to your company and customers?
An Internal and External Promise
A solid, well-conceived mission statement will have deep roots at all levels in the company. From entry-level to executive, it plays a part in the establishment of a highly functioning corporate culture and is the driving force behind every decision. To generate maximum loyalty and engagement of all stakeholders, start by making sure employees understand how their role contributes to the overall manifestation of the mission statement and how the mission statement integrates with your business practices.
Your mission statement also should serve as a promise to your ideal client. When prospects and customers connect with and respect your brand’s mission, it helps develop and strengthen the loyalty and trust that is essential for long-term success.
When it comes to mission statements, packing such complex ideas and deep values in a concise manner is no easy task, and can’t be done in one day. Take time to think it through. Invite stakeholders from throughout the organization to participate in its development and review. Think of your mission statement as a living, breathing document that needs every opportunity for expression. It’s something that needs to be cared for and cultivated continually. Above all, don’t write your mission statement and file it away. Keep it visible and let it serve as a constant reminder of the purpose and values that drive your success. When is the last time you visited your mission statement?
