TIPS FOR WRITING A POWERFUL MISSION

STATEMENT
A mission statement is a useful tool for getting everyone fired up and heading in the same direction,
but writing one is not as easy as it may first appear. Here are some tips for writing a powerful mission
statement:
● Keep it short. The best mission statements are just a few sentences long. If they are short, people
tend to remember them better.
● Keep it simple. Avoid using fancy jargon just to impress outsiders such as customers or suppliers.
The first and most important use of a mission statement is inside a company.
● Know what makes your company different. Your competitors are trying to reach the same
customers that you are. A mission statement should address what is unique about your company and
what sets it apart from the competition.
● Take a broad view, but not too broad. If it is too specific, a mission statement can limit a company’s
potential. Similarly, a mission statement is too broad if it applies to any company in the industry.
When asked what business his company was in, Rob Carter, a top manager at FedEx, did not mention
shipping packages quickly; instead, his response was, “We’re in the business of engineering time.”
● Get everyone involved. If the boss writes the company mission statement, who is going to criticize
it? Although the entrepreneur has to be the driving force behind the mission statement, everyone
in the company needs the opportunity to have a voice in creating it. Expect to write several drafts
before you arrive at a finished product.
● Keep it current. Mission statements can get stale over time. As business and competitive conditions
change, so should your mission statement. Make a habit of evaluating your mission periodically so
that it stays fresh.
● Make sure your mission statement reflects the values and beliefs you hold dear. They are the
foundation on which your company is built.
● Make sure your mission includes values that are worthy of your employees’ best efforts. One
entrepreneur says a mission statement should “send a message to employees, suppliers, and
customers as to what the purpose of the company is aside from just making profits.”
● Make sure your statement reflects a concern for the future. Business owners can get so focused
on the present that they forget about the future. A mission statement should be the first link to the
company’s future.
● Keep the tone of the statement positive and upbeat. No one wants to work for a business with a
pessimistic outlook of the world.
● Use your mission statement to lay an ethical foundation for your company. This is the ideal time
to let employees know what your company stands for—and what it won’t stand for.
● Look at other companies’ mission statements to generate ideas for your own. Two books, Say It
and Live It: The 50 Corporate Mission Statements That Hit the Mark
k (Currency/Doubleday) and
Mission Statements: A Guide to the Corporate and Nonprofit Sectors (Garland Publishing), are
useful resources. Internet searches also produce useful examples of mission statements.
● Make sure your mission statement is appropriate for your company’s culture. Although you
should look at other companies’ missions, do not make the mistake of trying to copy them. Your
company’s mission is unique to you and your company.
● Revise it when necessary. No business is static, which means that your company’s mission
statement should change as your company changes. Work with a team of employees on a regular
basis to
review and revise your company’s mission statement.
● Use it. Don’t go to all of the trouble of writing a mission statement just to let it collect dust. Post it
on bulletin boards, print it on buttons and business cards, stuff it into employees’ pay envelopes. Talk
about your mission often, and use it to develop your company’s strategic plan. That’s what it’s for!