How to craft effective mission and vision statements
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2025 9:53 am
Writing these statements takes time and thought. Here’s how to get started:
For the mission statement
Mission behind ripped brown paper
1. Start with the basics
Mission statements vary. Some are short and simple, while others are longer and more detailed. While businesses can even go as deep as explaining how they support their employees and community, it’s better to keep things simple. Here’s what to focus on:
What does the company offer customers? (what’s your purpose?)
Who are the customers? (who do you want to serve?)
What makes the company unique? (why should consumers choose you over others?)
Let’s use a new software company, for example. They created an physical therapist email list app to recommend travel destinations with guides to users using personalized personality tests. The mission statement will have something like this:
What the company offers: A simple way to discover the perfect travel locations.
Who the company serves: Young travelers who are unsure where to go for their next trip.
Why the company is unique: The personality tests are patented and highly rated.
2. Piece it together
Now that businesses have an idea of their business statement, they still have to refine it from its rough form. That’s where they start placing the pieces together—what better way to start than by rearranging the ideas?
Move those words around and change them to see different versions and how they work. But more importantly, avoid sticking to one draft (usually the first). The more options, the better.
Here’s what this process looks like based on the software company example:
Helping young travelers discover amazing locations to explore using proven personality assessments.
Creating clear travel plans for today’s travelers with effective personality assessments.
3. Collect feedback and adjust
Mission statements should say everything about the entire company, so the last step businesses must complete is feedback from others. Ask teammates, board members, leaders, and loyal customers what they think about the mission statement, ensuring it really reflects the organization. How can business owners get this feedback? They can use surveys, simple one-on-one conversations, or focus groups.
For the mission statement
Mission behind ripped brown paper
1. Start with the basics
Mission statements vary. Some are short and simple, while others are longer and more detailed. While businesses can even go as deep as explaining how they support their employees and community, it’s better to keep things simple. Here’s what to focus on:
What does the company offer customers? (what’s your purpose?)
Who are the customers? (who do you want to serve?)
What makes the company unique? (why should consumers choose you over others?)
Let’s use a new software company, for example. They created an physical therapist email list app to recommend travel destinations with guides to users using personalized personality tests. The mission statement will have something like this:
What the company offers: A simple way to discover the perfect travel locations.
Who the company serves: Young travelers who are unsure where to go for their next trip.
Why the company is unique: The personality tests are patented and highly rated.
2. Piece it together
Now that businesses have an idea of their business statement, they still have to refine it from its rough form. That’s where they start placing the pieces together—what better way to start than by rearranging the ideas?
Move those words around and change them to see different versions and how they work. But more importantly, avoid sticking to one draft (usually the first). The more options, the better.
Here’s what this process looks like based on the software company example:
Helping young travelers discover amazing locations to explore using proven personality assessments.
Creating clear travel plans for today’s travelers with effective personality assessments.
3. Collect feedback and adjust
Mission statements should say everything about the entire company, so the last step businesses must complete is feedback from others. Ask teammates, board members, leaders, and loyal customers what they think about the mission statement, ensuring it really reflects the organization. How can business owners get this feedback? They can use surveys, simple one-on-one conversations, or focus groups.