A mission statement is a very fundamental and important part of your company. Every organization has a purpose or a reason, the mission statement is where it is communicated. It is more a cross between a slogan and an execurive summary than anything.
Writing this particular statement can be extremely difficult! In fact, one of my entrepreneurial friends spent 6 days in their conference room with 7 or so people trying to drill the mission statement down. Its definitely not something you can do in 15 minutes.
Here are some basic guidelines in the development of you mission statement:
- The mission statement should say who you company is, what you do, what you stand for, and why you do it.
- The best mission statements tend to be 3-4 sentences long. They may be as short as 3 words though.
- A mission statment should be developed by all members of the organization.
- Do not boast – don’t say how great you, your company, or your products are.
- Actually believe in your mission statement. Its your company that you are standing behind!
Also keep in mind that the wording is clear, concise, and without complex words. Try not to include any technical jargon either. Beyond that, have fun with it. Think public relations, company purpose, and how you will be bettering the world, all in a tiny little 3 sentence package…
To find a very good collection of mission statements, head over to missionstatements.com. It is by far the most complete list I have ever found.
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