Mission
In a strategic context, a mission is a statement that defines the purpose of an organization and its reason for existence. Typically included in a business strategy document, it concisely conveys a company’s purpose, target audience, and unique selling proposition in one to three sentences.
A mission statement aims to serve as a guiding principle for employees and to communicate the company’s value proposition to customers or clients. It should be brief and describe what the organization does, who it serves, and how it creates value for its stakeholders.
One of the clearest company mission statements is the mission of TED, Technology, Education and Design Conference, founded by Richard Wurman and Harry Marks. It simply states, “Spread Ideas.” With these two words, it is easy to comprehend the purpose of TED as a conference and business. Its mission is to spread ideas. It could further be improved by adding a qualifier to the word ideas. Perhaps “Spread Novel Ideas” or “Spread Innovative Ideas” would make it more powerful and memorable.
A well-written mission statement involves identifying the organization’s target audience, highlighting its unique selling proposition, and avoiding grandiose or unrealistic claims. It should be specific, relevant, and inspiring for employees while being concise and straightforward. Although it’s not advisable for a committee to write the statement, leaders can ask a few employees to draft one sentence that encapsulates the company’s purpose and compare them to create an honest and accurate statement that resonates with the employees. Testing the statement with employees for feedback before sharing it internally or externally is crucial.
Here are a few examples of mission statements:
- Microsoft - “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”
- Amazon - “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
- Patagonia - “Build the best product, provide the best service and constantly improve everything we do.”
- Walmart - “Saving people money so they can live better.”
- Coca-Cola - “Refresh the world. Make a difference.”