Want to pinpoint your business goals? Have that one motivation that aligns the business? Starting up your own business and need to define your goal? Here are some of the best tips to get you off to the right start!
What Is a Mission Statement?
A mission statement defines your company’s goals and it's purpose through a simple statement. It summarises what you do as a business and who for. Some companies also use a mission statement alongside a vision statement, which is a more in-depth explanation of their aspirations.
Why Does Your Business Need One?
A mission statement should help your business find its focus and define it, so others know what your company does. If a mission statement hinders your company’s growth then it is probably outdated, too specific or your company does not need
one at all. Ultimately, it all depends on what your business purpose is and if a mission statement will help drive the company towards your goals.
How Does It Improve Employee Engagement?
Having a well-established mission statement allows employees to feel connected and valued. Therefore, a mission statement acts as a motivational tool to help drive team morale. Employees who are all working towards a common goal know what their contribution will be in the company and can allow them to have a greater focus on their role knowing they are contributing towards achieving the mission.
What Should I Include?
According to Chris Bart (1) there are 3 parts to writing a mission statement: Key Market (who are your target audience?), Contribution (what is your product or service?) and Distinction (what is your USP?). Your mission statement should reflect your company’s culture. You can include your company’s main aim, outline your target audience and what it is you do for your customers. You can include your growth target for the next 10 years or keep it brief; but it should align with your brand image to have the most powerful impact.
Examples of Mission Statements
TED “Spread ideas”
GOOGLE “Our mission is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
AMAZON “We aim to be Earth’s most customer centric company.”
LINKEDIN “To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
CUBO WORK “More than Work.”
Cubo's Mission Statement Tips
Keep It Short & Concise
Do not write an essay. Sum up the company’s mission in just a few sentences. The shorter the better. Make it catchy whilst saying everything you want to say. Take a look at our examples below for some ideas.
Think Long Term
Think about the business’s prospects in the long-term, once you have completed your goals, what will be next? Make sure
your mission can grow with you and will be the focus of your company for many years to come.
Don’t Be Too Specific
Being too specific in your business or personal mission statement can limit yourself to achieving something out of the box. Of course, you want to define and pinpoint your ideals but defining them beyond capability may lead to failure. Instead, start by describing how and when you want to achieve this, rather than what it will look like. Ultimately, you will want to define what success will look like for your company and how you will know when you have achieved this.
Ask Your Employees
A great idea is to gather your team together and come up with some ideas. Once you have narrowed down what it is you want to include, coming up with the best phrase is the next step and involving employees in the brainstorming will make them feel involved in the process having contributed to the future of the business.
Published 9th June 2021
1 Chris Bart (Innovations, Mission Statements and Learning, 2004)
