Writing A Mission Statement

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Writing A Mission Statement

Anant Jain

In this article, Anant JAIN (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole – Master in Management, 2019-2022) talks about how to write a mission statement.

Introduction

A mission statement explains an organization’s purpose of existence. A mission statement defines the organization’s values, ethics, culture, goals, and agenda. It describes the rationale for its existence, specifies its overall goals, and identifies the operational goals (including the product and/or service to deliver, its key clients or market, and the geographical region of operations) in basic and brief terms. A mission statement would be unique and distinct for every organization because every organization is different in terms of history, business, operations, vision, etc.

In addition to this, a mission statement also entails how each and every component is applicable to the distinct and various stakeholders of an organization including its employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and society at large. Therefore, it can be used by various stakeholders to assess if an organization’s values and goals align with their own or not.

For example, United Airlines: “Connecting people. Uniting the world.”

A commercial mission statement, according to Chris Bart, professor of strategy and governance at McMaster University, consists of three fundamental components:

  • Key market: the target market for the organization
  • Contribution: the product or service that has been provided
  • Distinction: what distinguishes the product or why should the audience choose it over another

Drafting A Mission Statement

While it may be tough to condense your organization’s emphasis into a single sentence, here are some pointers to help you draft an effective mission statement.

1. First, start by describing what the organization does. This may be a product you create or a service it offers to your customers—whatever it is that keeps the organization running.

2. Secondly, outline how the organization accomplishes its goals. Instead of becoming technical, consider what values are at the heart of the organization. Perhaps it places a premium on quality, customer service, or sustainability, or it encourage creativity and innovation. In its mission statement, it should include these crucial aspects.

3. Finally, in a mission statement, explain “why it does what it does”. This is crucial. It allows it to stand out as an organization by emphasizing what makes it unique in its field. Keep the mission statement succinct and to-the-point.

Remember to go over it, modify it, and have someone else look it over when you’ve finished it. It will need to find a method to include it anywhere you can after you’ve authorized it, such as on your website or in your marketing campaigns—anywhere that key stakeholders will see it.

As a result, an organization should undertake the following in order to produce a succinct and crisp mission statement:

  • Describe the product or service that an organization provides.
  • Find out what the organization’s essential values are.
  • Make a connection between how your organization’s offering and your ideals.
  • Combine these statements into a single statement.
  • Make sure it is succinct, straightforward, and devoid of fluff.

4. Be inspiring. After drafting the mission statement, one should review each and every word again and question if every word has a meaning associated to the statement or not. Additionally, one should read the mission statement to check if it inspires to spring into action.

5. Use It. You should not spend time on the mission statement if it will not be utilized from your end and will end up becoming just a poster for the hanger wall. On the contrary, your mission statement must become a strong point of reference to analyze any possible future projects and analyze if they align with actualizing the vision.

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Useful Resources

Christpher K. Bart (2006) Sex, Lies and Mission Statements

About The Author

The article was written in August 2024 by Anant JAIN (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole – Master in Management, 2019-2022).