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While the vision statement is future oriented and describes where the organization wants to be in the future, mission statements are firmly grounded in the present, describing what the organization, department or team does. The Mission describes the purpose of your organization, product or service. It answers the question “Why are we here?”
Even if you are working within a larger organization think as though you are in business for yourself as though you are a consultant or contractor with skills and talent the organization needs for a specific purpose. Why do internal or external customers need you? What is your team or department committed to providing to it’s internal or external customers?
Why Create a Mission?
A clear mission provides grounding and purpose to your organization. It communicates the focus of the organization. What the organization does. It’s purpose. A well-written and well-communicated Mission can coordinate the actions of many people in a fast, efficient way.
Without a focused mission statement, the risk is that the organization limps along, attempting to be everything for everyone, with no limits, no parameters, and no focus. Lacking focus the organizations energies and resources may become stretched over more activities than can be properly served with excellence.
Mission statements help clarify what business you are in; with that clarity you are then in a much better position to articulate your strategies and goals.
What Works and What Doesn’t Work
What Works:
- Mission statements that are clear statements of the business purpose
- Missions that are moving, capturing your heart as well as your head
- Focused language that provides guidance in decision-making, clearly explaining what the company or department or team does.
What Doesn’t:
- Unfocused statements – we will be successful in everything we do … we will exceed the expectations of our customers.
- When the Mission is too confusing. If your mission statement is packed full of technical terminology and business lingo, it loses its effectiveness.
- Mission Statements that are too long – trying to cover absolutely everything. Relating fifty-four things the company does.
- A Mission that is not grounded in reality. It’s okay to be hopeful, but when hopefulness crosses the line into sheer fantasy … there is a problem.
Get the Complete ‘Strategy Starter Kit’
The Strategy Starter Kit includes:
- Strategy Starter Kit Workbook (pdf, 40 pages) – A series of questions and fill-in-the-blanks that result in your completed Business Planning Document, containing aligned Mission, Vision, Strategies, Goals & Objectives, as well as a Sustainment Plan to ensure success.
- ‘Aligning Vision, Mission & Goals’ Full-Length Video (approx. 15 minutes) – Audio (mp3) and Visual Slides (ppt) can be downloaded separately
- ‘Aligning Vision, Mission & Goals’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
- ‘Mission Statements’ Podcast + Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
- ‘Mission Statements’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
- ‘The Vision Statement’ Podcast & Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
- ‘The Vision Statement’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
- ‘SMART Goals and HARD Goals’ Podcast & Podcast Slides (mp3, ppt)
- ‘SMART Goals and HARD Goals’ Cheat Sheet (pdf, 1 page)
Get instant access to the complete Strategy Starter Kit…
