Organizational Mission Statements

An organization's mission is its reason for existence. It speaks to the questions: Why does this organization exist? Whom does it serve? By what means does it serve them? Those seeking to learn the mission of an organization often find they are dealing with two entities: that which is written down (the mission statement) and that which is conceived by organization members. 
The mission statement is the written expression of the basic goals, characteristics, values, and philosophy that shape the organization and give it purpose. It seeks to distinguish the organization from others by articulating its scope of activities, its products/services and market, and the significant technologies and approaches it uses to meet its goals. By expressing the organization's ultimate aims — essentially, what it values most — the mission statement provides members with a sense of shared purpose and direction. The long-term goals enshrined within it serve to inspire the organization's strategic planning and major activities. These goals also form the basis for evaluating organizational performance. 
Besides the organizational mission that is formally written down is the perceived organizational mission. Often the latter does not correspond to the stated mission, being out-of-date or even misconstrued. But the perceived mission is nonetheless a powerful behavioral driver for those in the organization. One task of an organizational assessment is to assess the degree to which the formal mission statement is understood and has been internalized by members of the organization, i.e. the congruence of perceived and stated missions. 

Mission as Tool

Not long ago, it was common for mission statements to gather dust on the shelf. They were largely symbolic documents and seldom referred to. More and more, however, organizations have realized the importance of making the mission statement a "living statement." When formulated and used strategically, a mission statement is a powerful tool which communicates the organization's fundamental verities to internal and external stakeholders. Used in this way, the mission statement becomes a driving force of the organization and a yardstick for measuring its accomplishments.

Here are some basic guidelines in writing a mission statement: 

• A mission statement should say who your company is, what you do, what you stand for and why you do it. 
• An effective mission statement is best developed with input by all the members of an organization. 
• The best mission statements tend to be 3-4 sentences long. 
• Avoid saying how great you are, what great quality and what great service you provide. 
• Examine other company's mission statements, but make certain your statement is you and not some other company. That is why you should not copy a statement. 
• Make sure you actually believe in your mission statement, if you don't, it's a lie, and your customers will soon realize it. 

Why do some Mission Statements seem to fail, becoming nothing more than a wall ornament? 

For the most part, the reasons for failure are the same reasons why many organizations do not find great success in balanced scorecards, reengineering, job enrichment, empowerment, and a score of other fads that are highly effective for some, weak for others, pointless for others. Those reasons are:

• Fuzzy, nonspecific language 
• Interchangeable goals or visions that can be adopted by any company if only a few words are changed 
• Lack of true, prolonged leadership support - in action more than in words 
• Poor implementation 

A useful mission statement is very brief, understood by everyone, specific, and actionable in that you can use it to make decisions. A normal mission statement is vague and covers all the bases. But few companies can be the best in research and development (innovative product), quality, cost, AND marketing. 

Most important, a good mission statement is the credo of the organization's leaders. If the leaders make decisions on a daily basis that reflect the vision and methods in the mission statement, others will eventually follow. 

Making a concerted effort through training of new and existing employees, measurement via survey or interview, and willingness to adjust parts of the statement as needed will go a long way towards making a mission statement an effective tool. However, be warned that implementing and sticking to a mission and vision is a long term effort. 

Source:  Mission Newsletter – Issue 9