How to write a mission statement

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How to write a mission statement

How do you possibly encapsulate everything your business does in just 1-2 lines? You can't. But you can do your best. Here's how you should go about writing a mission statement, step by step.

Mission statement vs. vision statement

It's easy to confuse mission statements and vision statements because they're both important parts of the strategic planning process for a business, but they serve totally different purposes.

• A mission statement explains "What do we do?"

• A vision statement explains "Where do we want to go?"

Imagine a mission statement as the foundation of your company, and the vision statement as the blueprint for the rest of the build.

How to write a mission statement

How do you possibly encapsulate everything your business does in just 1-2 lines? You can't. But you can do your best. Here's how you should go about writing a mission statement, step by step.

1. Connect with stakeholders. Chat with executives, customers, and investors and ask them to explain what your company does in their own words.

2. List out your core values. Write down and define everything your company stands for in one place.

3. Consider your audience. Look through any market research or interviews you have from your target audience to identify their needs that your company exists to meet.

4. Write a rough draft. Take your stakeholder notes, values, and target audience research, and smash them all together in a rough draft. Don't worry about length at this point, just try to connect the dots.

5. Edit for conciseness. Refine that rough draft into a more succinct statement of what your company does and why, keeping your audience in mind.

6. Seek feedback. Present your draft to stakeholders, and ask for feedback. This will probably be a long (and potentially painful) process. It might help to include your notes on how you came up with your final product.

7. Revise. Address the edits you receive, keeping your values, goals, purpose, and audience in mind. Don't lose sight of your research just because Dave from sales thinks it should have more "zing."

8. Communicate and integrate. Once you have a final product, it's time to push it out internally and externally and take a nice big sigh of relief.

Mission statement FAQ

Have a few more burning questions about mission statements? Check out these answers to the most common ones.

How long should a mission statement be?

A mission statement should be somewhere around one to three sentences. This ensures it's concise and focused, making it memorable and impactful.

Why is a mission statement important?

A mission statement is important because it's a compass for an organization, defining its purpose and values. A well-crafted mission statement communicates your unique value proposition to customers and aligns employees toward a common goal.

What are the components of a mission statement?

The components of a mission statement include your purpose, values, and target audience. In other words, you want to break down the what, why, and who of your business.

These mission statement examples aren't the end-all-be-all of how you can craft your own, but they're a great place to start. To make your actions speak louder than words, learn how to make your brand more socially responsible.Learn more ways to improve you business.

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