Hello. What’s your name? What do you do? When you’re getting to know someone new, these are often the first questions that you ask. In the same way, a mission statement is the introduction and explanation of an organization’s purpose for being. It is a brief statement of the core values and purpose of one’s organization. If it’s done correctly, it will become the spine of the organization’s decision-making. So, now that we know what one is, how do we make one? We wouldn’t want to be a spineless organization, right?!

Originally, mission statements were qualifying statements for stockholders considering investments into an organization. This, of course, was before the information age. But now, these are the “about us” statements that guide organizational decision-making. While there are no hard-and-fast rules about the contents and format of these statements, it is standard to address the following issues: (1) The corporate name. (2) A one-to-three sentence statement of purpose. (Optional 3) A one-sentence statement of positioning within the community. These are meant to be general enough to have room to evolve, but specific enough to differentiate the organization from others like it. For instance:

CVS Pharmacy’s Mission Statement:
To be the easiest pharmacy retailer for customers to use. 

This mission statement shows the core value of the organization upon which they will make their strategic decisions. Their efforts will be concentrated on making their stores the easiest for the consumer to use to purchase their retail pharmacy goods. All influential decisions and strategic planning should be developed with this goal in mind.

Ford Motor Company’s Mission Statement:
We are a global family with a proud heritage passionately committed to providing personal mobility for people around the world.

This is a great example of leaving enough room to grow. By describing themselves as a global family, they both set themselves as a world-wide organization and recognize the value of both their internal and external communities.  They do not say that they are a car or truck company. They are a family with a heritage of providing personal mobility. They can provide a variety of vehicles under this banner, as long as they remain unified in their efforts to maintain a cohesive vision.

To view and be inspired by many Fortune 500 mission statements, go here.

Make Your Own Statement.

You need a clear and written mission statement in order to clarify to yourself and the world the principles and purpose of your organization. When decisions about corporate direction are made, you should return to the mission statement, and it should guide you toward the strategy that is best for you.  When the day-to-day and immediate can cloud our judgment, the longer ranging big picture vision expressed in this statement can keep you on track when used correctly. It motivates your employees to help you achieve your goals because it clarifies the overriding principles of your vision. Pave the road to business and branding success by laying down a solid, clear, and well-known foundation in your mission statement.