All effective mission statements have in common critical components that clarify each organization's purpose. When people say, "I'm on a mission," it gives the impression of total, single-minded focus towards a worthwhile goal. Similarly, when an organization composes its official mission, the single-minded focus is narrowed down into a concise statement announcing the worthwhile goal.
For Whom is the Mission Statement intended?
There are different uses and types of mission statements. Some organizations use their mission statement as a publicity tool, others have internal-use only mission statements that serve as a compass for leadership decisions, others publish their mission statements in annual reports meant to be read by investors and potential clients. Finding your reason is the first step in creating an effective mission statement.
Examples of Good Mission Statements
Look for the values incorporated into the following mission statement examples, and the vision implied or often explicitly stated.
Non-Profit Statement Example:
“The Jeremiah Program, a broad-based collaborative community initiative, assists low-income mothers and their children to help themselves complete their education and achieve economic self-sufficiency through empowerment skills, access to affordable housing, child development services, health care, support services and meaningful employment. The Jeremiah Program mothers and children develop positive self-esteem and clarify their values on which to build a successful life.”
This is a great example of a multi-purpose mission statement. This clarifies the mission of the organization to supporters of the program (charitable donors and volunteers), to potential applicants of the program, to employees, and to the general public.
The values are included skillfully in the statement: collaboration, empowerment, self-sufficiency, family values, and positive self-esteem. The vision is to have single mothers empowered to help themselves get ahead in life while still maintaining focus on family and parenting skills.
Personal Mission Statement Example:
"My mission is to champion others to grow personally, professionally, emotionally and spiritually by using my compassion, my unique perspective, and my belief in others' inherent goodness, integrity, and enormous potential."
This statement could be for personal use only, to guide decisions and act as a measuring tool for success, or it could be used for potential clients to be championed.
The values in this statement are leadership as service (“champion others”), compassion, integrity, and faith. The vision is people helping people reach more of their potential through well-rounded growth --personal, professional, emotional, and spiritual.
Business Statement Example:
Here is the Coca-Cola Company's mission statement for Stakeholders which is published in Jeffrey Abrahams' new book, 101 Mission Statements From Top Companies (Ten Speed Press, 2007):
"The Coca-Cola Promise: The Coca-Cola Company exists to benefit and refresh everyone it touches. The basic proposition of our business is simple, solid, and timeless. When we bring refreshment, value, joy and fun to our stakeholders, then we successfully nurture and protect our brands, particularly Coca-Cola. That is the key to fulfilling our ultimate obligation to provide consistently attractive returns to the owners of our business." (p. 40)
The audience for this mission is specifically for the stakeholder.
The values here are stated explicitly: refreshment, value, joy, fun, and attractive returns. These words were obviously carefully chosen by those who crafted this mission statement. The “ultimate obligation” of “attractive returns” is a powerful way to state the company’s vision and keeps the values stated in context.
A separate mission statement is published on The Coca-Cola Company's website for access by the general public:
“Everything we do is inspired by our enduring mission:
- To Refresh the World… in body, mind, and spirit.
- To Inspire Moments of Optimism… through our brands and our actions.
- To Create Value and Make a Difference… everywhere we engage.”
These values are consistent with the stakeholder version of the mission: refreshment and value are echoed in addition to inspiration.
Resources:
Basics on Writing a Start Up Business Plan
Here is a huge compilation of mission statements of all types: Mission Statements Just remember that not all statement examples may be appropriate or relevant to the type of mission statement that you want to create, and each example is only relevant for the audience that it was designed for.
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