How to Write a Mission Statement

However, crafting an effective mission statement isn't always easy. To help you get started, here are some tips on writing a powerful mission statement that will guide your business into the future.

What is a Mission Statement?

A mission statement is a assertion of the purpose and goals of an organization. It acts as a roadmap for representing the values, vision, and what the organization intends to accomplish.

An effective mission statement creates alignment between everyone within an organization as to where they are headed and how they can strive towards achieving their common goals. In addition, by understanding why an organization exists, individuals help unite a larger intention or belief that contributes to the well-being of their community or customers.

Writing a mission statement involves analyzing clearly who you are and what you need to do - providing clarity to differentiate from competitors and inspiring passion in those within your company.

Why is a Mission Statement Important for a Business or Brand?

A mission statement serves as a compass for both internal and external brand messaging - it helps stakeholders understand why the company exists, what it stands for, and how it approaches each challenge.

Having clear ambition and an established mantra to stand by can drive strategy, provide direction when making decisions on behalf of the brand, and ensure everyone is pushing in the same direction. It also serves to unify staff members, customers, and other external stakeholders who are familiar with your mission.

Creating a mission statement isn't just about introducing yourself to potential customers - it's also an opportunity for a meaningful reflection that sets forth your goals and builds accountability within your business or brand.

6 Key Elements of a Mission Statement

A mission statement should be brief, clear, and inspiring. Here are some key elements to help shape your mission statement:

• A Clear Focus: Be specific when stating why you exist - it should clarify what differentiates you from the competition and define who you are and what services or products you provide.
• Defining Values: State what principles and values guide you in your mission.
• Future-Focused: Your mission statement should act as a beacon for the future, conveying where you want to be and how you intend to get there.
• Customer Focused: Who are your customers, and how do you serve them? Include customer needs in your mission statement.
• Inclusive: Include your employees, partners, and stakeholders in your mission statement to ensure everyone feels included and valued.
• Inspirational: Your mission statement should be inspiring - it should provide passion for your work and encourage commitment from others.

5 Tips for Creating a Mission Statement That Makes an Impact

Now that you understand the key elements of a mission statement, here are some tips to help you create an effective and impactful one.

Put Yourself in the Shoes of Your Customer

Crafting a mission statement that resonates with customers starts with understanding the customer experience. To effectively put yourself in their shoes, it's important to understand their problems and the solutions they seek. This will help your mission articulate how you provide value and improve customers' lives. Remember, at its core, your mission statement should focus on how you can help customers succeed and grow. You need to provide a clear vision of how you are helping them solve their challenges.

Be Succinct

When writing a mission statement, you want to ensure your message is precise and accurately captures your company's identity. To do this, aim to make it as brief as possible. For example, you may need only five words or fewer if you can masterfully sum up your organization's purpose in just 15 words. Keeping things short and sweet can help make communicating what your business does easy for potential customers and partners.

Involve Stakeholders

Businesses must involve stakeholders when creating a mission statement; companies often craft one from the top down, disregarding the input of those it should most reflect. Employee and customer values must be respected, and their interests should be integral to the mission statement. A truly engaging, succinctly communicated company mission will embody the perspectives of everyone involved with the business—from employees to customers and even suppliers or investors. As a result, establishing a shared vision across each of these key stakeholder groups is vital for success.

Make it Real

It's all good to have high ideals but to make your mission statement truly meaningful; it should be based on tangible goals that can be achieved and measured over time. Illustrated with activity-specific objectives that are achievable, measurable, specific, and time-related, you can surpass short-term expectations and bring daily life to the mission statement. Not only do these action points breed commitment and dedication across the board, but they also provide markers for successes to build on and failure points for reinforcements or realignments as needed. Making your mission statement is about ensuring everyone, from the C-Suite down, can understand it and work towards it daily - keeping them motivated to reach greater heights.

Keep it Up-to-Date

Businesses must stay up-to-date and adapt their mission statement to the changes in the industry. This ensures they are continuously aware of their customer's needs, which can frequently change. Keeping an evergreen mission statement will help businesses make informed decisions, fix issues, and better understand their long-term direction. Additionally, these detailed statements will make it easier for a business to recognize when a potential new idea or goal does not fit into its ultimate purpose. To keep a mission statement up-to-date with customers' current demands, review it regularly to ensure it reflects your changing core values and vision for your product or service.

50 Mission Statement Examples

To help you get inspired, here are 50 mission statement examples for big and small companies around the world.

10 Non-Profit Mission Statement Examples

1. Oxfam: To create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social injustice.
2. World Wildlife Fund: To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
3. American Red Cross: To prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
4. World Vision: To create positive and lasting change in the lives of vulnerable children, families, and communities living in poverty.
5. Habitat for Humanity: Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
6. UNICEF: To defend the rights of every child.
7. Doctors Without Borders: To save lives by providing medical aid where it's needed most, delivering independent and impartial care to those most in need.
8. Salvation Army: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
9. St Jude Children's Research Hospital: To advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
10. Make-A-Wish Foundation: We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.

10 Family Mission Statement Examples

1. The Smith Family: To create a safe, positive environment in our home where everyone feels loved and respected.
2. The Jones Family: We will strive to live as a unified family that puts God first by showing love for each other through communication, respect, and kindness.
3. The Williams Family: To foster an atmosphere of unconditional love, respect, and trust in our home by nurturing a strong sense of family unity.
4. The Brown Family: We will promote an atmosphere of joy, responsibility, and curiosity that allows us all to grow as individuals while developing meaningful relationships with one another.
5. The Taylor Family: Our mission is to build a loving home environment based on kindness, trust, and honesty.
6. The Johnson Family: To create a home where the love of God and each other is expressed through words and actions demonstrating our commitment to one another.
7. The Davis Family: We will strive to foster a happy, healthy, and safe family environment where everyone values each other and works together towards a common goal.
8. The Miller Family: We will strive to create a foundation of love, respect, and mutual understanding to reach our goals for the betterment of our family.
9. The Anderson Family: Our mission is to create an atmosphere of joy, acceptance, and appreciation in which we support each other's growth and development.
10. The Moore Family: We will strive to build a loving home filled with respect, trust, and kindness where everyone is supported in reaching their goals.

10 Mission Statement Examples for Schools

1. Harvard University: To educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society.
2. Yale University: To create, preserve, and disseminate knowledge and understanding in service to the nation and the world.
3. Stanford University: To seek solutions for the betterment of humanity through education, research, scholarship, creative endeavors, and community service.
4. Columbia University: To educate students to make meaningful contributions as informed, ethical citizens and leaders in a global society.
5. Princeton University: To serve the nation and the world by sustaining an academic community that reflects diversity, encourages innovation, provides access to knowledge, promotes mutual respect and understanding, and offers outstanding instruction and scholarship.
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: To advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.
7. University of California – Berkeley: To foster learning, create knowledge, and develop leaders who will make a difference in their communities and the world.
8. Duke University: To cultivate knowledge, understanding, and wisdom in the service of society; to support research, teaching, and scholarship that address pressing local and global problems; and to create an environment in which students can develop their fullest potential.
9. Cornell University: To discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; produce creative work; and promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community.
10. University of Pennsylvania: To foster a diverse community rich in dialogue and debate, to further knowledge through research and scholarship, to educate students from around the world, and to serve as an important resource for its local, national, and global communities.

10 Personal Leadership Mission Statement Examples

1. My mission is to be a leader who inspires, motivates, and encourages others to reach their highest potential.
2. I strive to lead with integrity, authenticity, and compassion while being an agent of positive change to create a better world.
3. My goal is to serve as a role model for others by setting an example of what it means to be a strong and compassionate leader.
4. I will be a leader who listens, empathizes, and supports others to create an inclusive and safe environment for everyone.
5. My mission is to bring out the best in all those around me by inspiring them to take ownership of their potential and use it to improve the world.
6. I will always strive to be the best version of myself, leading by example and showing others that they can achieve anything if they are willing to work hard and believe in themselves.
7. My mission is to foster collaboration between individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to create a stronger future together.
8. I will strive to lead with humility and integrity, honoring the perspectives of others while advocating for what is right and just.
9. I aim to use my skills and knowledge to mentor and support those around me to achieve positive outcomes on both an individual level and a collective one.
10. I am committed to creating an equitable world where everyone has the same success opportunities, regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status.

10 Restaurant Mission Statement Examples

1. Our mission is to provide a unique and memorable dining experience that celebrates the flavors of our local cuisine while honoring the traditions of global culinary culture.
2. We strive to create an atmosphere where guests feel welcomed, appreciated, and part of something special.
3. Our goal is to offer delicious food with exceptional service in an inviting environment that inspires repeat visits from our loyal customers.
4. We aim to provide our guests with a hospitable and enjoyable atmosphere through quality products, attentive service, and warm hospitality.
5. Our mission is to be a leader in the restaurant industry by providing excellent cuisine that reflects the highest standards for culinary excellence and innovation.
6. We will always endeavor to exceed customer expectations with a commitment to our values of quality, freshness, and hospitality.
7. Our goal is to bring people together by providing an enjoyable atmosphere and great food that will keep our customers returning.
8. We believe in creating memorable experiences for each guest through outstanding service, delicious cuisine, and unique ambiance.
9. Our mission is to serve the highest quality ingredients with expert preparation in a warm and welcoming environment for all who enter our restaurant.
10. We strive to create a comfortable place where friends can gather to share a meal and make memories that last a lifetime.