A mission statement isn’t something a business creates and forgets about or uses just for branding. It is a tool that, when created properly, can help guide the business in numerous ways over time. It tells people why the company exists. At the same time, it should help the company to move through growth phases while also overcoming challenges. It also aids as a decision-making tool. A well-written and respected mission statement can also help inspire and motivate employees. In many ways, sharing a mission statement like this and then working to improve it over time can help a company find success.
The key is to take the time to truly develop a mission statement that can offer this type of fortitude. Here’s how to do that.
Make Sure It Is Easy to Pitch
Create a mission that is concise and easy to pitch. You want to make sure that it is easy for people to grasp and quick to tell anyone who wants to know what it is. It’s not an essay and should never take more than a few minutes to state.
Start by summing up the goals of the company. Then, include how you plan to pursue those goals. Keep it all within a few focused sentences. Get rid of every extra word possible. Get rid of words that don’t add something new or interesting to the sentiment. Don’t state things that people already know – you are going to work towards the best service possible, but instead of saying that, just say your goal is to provide the best service.
Make It an Elevator-Style Pitch
Write your mission statement as if it was an elevator pitch. You only have a few minutes to communicate everything that is important to someone else. Prioritize necessary and valuable information that helps to best describe your company.
Don’t just write anything, though. Make sure you include information of real substance that helps to shed light on what your company has to offer. Keep it clear and easy to understand, too. It’s often best to use a universal language that helps to appeal to most people. In a traditional elevator pitch, you need to get the other person interested right away. To do that in a mission statement, find a way to get the listener to engage with you. Leave them interested and inspired by what you have to say.
At the same time, incorporate a few memorable phrases or bite-sized bits of information that they like the sound of and will remember. You also want to be sure that what you stay here is able to stand the test of time.
Be Sure That Everyone Gets a Say
Your company is made up of a lot of different people – not just leaders but employees and board members, too. You may even have partners. All should have some say in what the mission statement is.
Often, a company’s mission is very closely aligned to a personal mission. That means that it’s also important that every contributing member of your company has a personal mission that aligns with the company.
Work first with your upper management, partners, and board members to flesh out the mission statement. Then, allow employees and others to offer feedback and to have their say in it. They may have a valid point or a fantastic idea that fits a bit better. It’s worth finding out.
When you work to define your mission statement with the help of your team, you are also defining the type of people you need to help your company grow over time. Your current employees trust that you’ll make decisions on new hires that align with the team’s values. That may include decisions related to new people.
Having a team that works together like this can help to ensure that the company’s vision for the future continues to match with their goals.
Martin Rowinski of Boardsi states, “When we wrote out the company mission statement, we wanted to let investors, employees, and clients know before engaging with us that we planned to take a modern approach to recruiting by leveraging advanced technologies and forging more meaningful business connections. When new people join our team, our mission makes sure that everyone involved knows our expectations and intends to grow toward our goals. Our team is stronger because we all drive the mission together.”
Put Your Thoughts into Words on Paper
Many company leaders say they know what their mission statement is. Yet, until you put it on paper, it is not official. For many startups, it is critical to put in the effort to create a mission statement early on. Define your mission on paper and then build it out. Sure, there are many other things that seem more important to do. However, once you write out your mission statement, you have created the foundation of how you will make decisions. Dream big here. Do not write about short term goals but where you will be in a year or longer.
What you write now is not likely to remain the same throughout your business years. In fact, you will need to change it as your company adjusts over time. Be sure to come back to it over time so you can tweak it to better follow your company’s current expectations.
Once you have it in place, share your mission with everyone. Talk about it and get feedback from others about it. Be sure you have put in the time to communicate with your employees that their opinions matter.
