The mission statement is an important part of any business plan. It states the purpose and aim of the organization and can serve as a source of direction for employees of an organization for years to come. When planned well, a mission statement is not just an overview of the direction of the company, it can act to create specific goals to be met by the organization.
Instructions
1. Review the mission statements of other organizations to figure out what types of goals you would like to include in your own mission statement. Many organizations post their mission statements online; searching for those of the businesses in your industry can give you a good starting point.
2. Decide on goals for your organization for the coming years. A mission statement should not have to be revised every year because the goals you laid out are too easy or specific. An example of a goal-oriented mission item is: "To be the #1 provider of medical imaging products in the world." This goal is difficult, but attainable and is unlikely to need revision over time.
3. Goals should always be SMART. That is: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Trackable. Goals that are too general, cannot be measured, or cannot be attained will not serve your organization well. Again, looking at the mission statements of other organizations in your industry can help here.
4. Refer back to your mission statement often. It should go without saying, but your mission statement is irrelevant if you never refer to it. Use your mission statement as a litmus test for business decisions. Members of the organization who weren't around at the formation of the business should be able to refer to the mission statement and feel confident their decisions are leading toward organizational goals.
5. Review your mission statement periodically. While the goals laid out in your mission statement should not change often, it is likely that over the time the direction of your company will change naturally. When this becomes the case, your mission statement will no longer reflect your goals and will need to be revised.
