Mission Statement

What is a mission statement – and why do you need one?

In setting up and building any business, you need to have an objective or purpose that drives the business forward. The mission statement is a formalised way to express that objective. Generally, a mission statement defines the organization's purpose, business, and products. A well-written mission statement answers the following questions:

• What is our purpose?
• What is our business?
• Who are our customers?
• What are our products?

A clearly –written statement provides everyone within the organisation with unanimity of purpose and a sense of shared values. It clarifies the organisational climate and assists managers in making decisions regarding organisational objectives, organizational structure, resource allocation and product development. Where the organisation is broken down into several units, each business units' mission and objective should be aligned with the corporate mission statement.

Let me set this in context. An entrepreneur who sets up a business with the objective of selling it in 10 years time for $25 million has a very specific goal in mind. His personal mission statement would be easy to define. In fact, I prefer to call this personal mission statement a Passion Statement. It’s something very personal.

But, at the same time, the entrepreneur recognises that his personal passion will not necessarily be shared by his employees. He needs them to help him create a business that has that net worth in 10 years time, so their collective Mission Statement would probably be customer-focused. After all, his people need to look after their customers so the business builds on solid foundations.

Here are a few examples of mission statements:

Federal Express
"FedEx is committed to our People-Service-Profit Philosophy. We will produce outstanding financial returns by providing totally reliable, competitively superior, global, air-ground transportation of high-priority goods and documents that require rapid, time-certain delivery."

Dell Computers
“Dell's mission is to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve.”

Coca Cola
"To put a can of coke within arms-reach of everyone on the planet"

And an example of how not to do it!

First Choice Holidays HR Intranet
"Our mission is to efficiently initiate consumer-based paradigms in order that we may conveniently integrate prospective assemblages while maintaining the highest standards. In order to achieve this and still exceed customer expectations, it is of vital importance that all employees innovate open-source metrics without resorting to disintermediate nonmission-critical niches. This can be achieved in the short-term by the use of valid multivariate morphogenesis, but in the medium to long term we should be working towards time-bound dendritic portals (the Kritiriebundel Model). In visualising cross-platform solutions through incubating world deliverables we can continue to orchestrate vertical networks and position our brand at the forefront of 24/365 customer focussed vortals."

For help in creating your own mission statement, simply send an email to me marked ‘Mission Statement’.

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