You are going to end up somewhere, so why not end up where you want to be? Organizations (and people) all have a purpose or a reason for being. Many call it a mission. That mission helps the firm to make good decisions that are consistent with its purpose. With a well written “mission statement” to guide you, the little decisions for your firm become easier, and I think you have a better chance of getting to your desired destination.
A mission statement is a proclamation about why the firm exists and what really matters. It should speak about the firm’s values and describe what the business hopes to achieve while describing the nature of the business. A mission statement can provide a compass during times of uncertainty or strife by reminding the employees at the firm about what really matters.
The mission statement should be a few sentences up to a brief paragraph that is simple, clear, and jargon free. No Shakespeare needed here. Thirty words or less should do the trick. It should be memorable, while motivating to the firm’s employees. If properly written, the mission statement can be displayed proudly on the company website, brochures, and business cards.
Your mission statement should include some or most of these elements:
• Who is your customer?
• What business are you in?
• What are your products or services?
• What is your geographic domain?
• What is your commitment to ownership?
• How is your firm different from the competition?
• What are the opportunities available for the firm?
• What is your company philosophy?
• What are the firm’s core beliefs and values?
• What is the essence of your brand?
• What do things look like when things go well?
A vision statement, while similar to a mission statement, is more of a proclamation of what the firm should be; it is an image of the desired future, almost Utopian in its grandeur. Typically, the vision statement is no more than a short sentence. Some say that a vision statement is a description of an ideal and, thus, it will never be achieved. Most vision statements are imaginative and hope to inspire others.
So, what is your purpose?
John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.
It sounds really neat that a business should figure out the purpose before it even started. Without the mission statement, a business will be lacking of sense of direction where they should grow or even where to start. The absence of a purpose can lead the business into several directions and eventually destroy it. Using the mission statement, the business owner can communicate the main focus of the business to the employees as well as the customers. It is not easy to define your purpose in a brief statement. I’ve tried to define a purpose of one business and ended up realizing that the concept was not worth doing at all. For me, defining the purpose is like defining the end of your journey. From there, I can choose which way to get there.
Sisca,
Well said.
I agree that planning backwards makes sense. Figure out the destination and then plan your way there.
JBJ