Creating a Worthy Business Mission
It’s not a matter of the size of the business; it’s a matter of the size of the mission of a business. Business success is not due to the individuals of a business, but rather to a group of people dedicated to a single mission. A mission statement helps to create a clear future path, and direction the business is taking to accomplish a specific goal.
Your mission starts at your core, in your soul, felt in your heart, and spoken through your actions – not just your words. The mission becomes the true purpose of your business. Your business's mission will create a higher purpose that allows others to align themselves with that mission. With a strong mission as the driving force of your business, the needed resources and money will appear to accomplish your future vision.
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‘What is your business, and what should it be?’
A successful business usually solves a problem or fills a need. The mission for that businesses is to focus on solving that problem or filling that need, in the best possible way for their customers. Your mission is what will set you apart from your competitors.
It describes the company’s products, markets, and recourses and reflects the company’s values, priorities, and why it was founded.
A mission statement is worthless if it does not truly inspire and challenge the energy of every employee in the same direction. Everyone must believe the mission is doable and achievable. As the leader in your business, you need to ‘walk the walk’ by setting the example for all employees. They don’t just talk about the mission statement, they become examples of the new philosophy; they live it every day.
A mission statement exists to answer these fundamental questions:
Drafting a mission statement helps to formulate and determine the direction that a business is going to take. It determines the basic goals and philosophies of a business and how it sees its responsibilities to the customer and community. These beliefs, values, and attitudes set it apart from other businesses competing in the same market environment.
Managing a business mission is a never-ending ongoing developmental process. It is the culture that ‘glues’ a company together and helps it to function as a collective entity. This culture impacts and stimulates the way in which people behave, how they work together and how they follow and practice the goals of the business.
How to create a mission statement for your business
The starting point for dealing effectively with starting a business, transformation, adapting to increased competition, deregulation, downsizing, and globalization of markets, is a business’s mission statement. A mission statement must instill inspiration and truly reflects your dreams, hopes, aspirations, and reason for being.
Mission statements are not simply slogans or mottoes. They are the goals, dreams, behavior, culture, and desired future of businesses. They act as a guiding compass for business daily operations and decision-making.
A mission statement is a key component in a business’s entire planning process. Strategically, it is a tool that defines a business, and target market. Culturally, it serves as the ‘glue’ that binds the company together through shared values and standards of behavior. An inspiring and worthy mission statement will also inspire and stretch staff to higher performance levels.
How To Create Your Mission Statement
step 1
Draft the mission
Gather the right words, set the tone, and find the main theme.
step 2
Write the first draft
Conduct a situation or SWOT analysis to identify what external forces will probably influence its future, and what it hopes to become. In preparing the first draft, use the following guiding rules for writing your mission statement:
- It can vary in length.
- It must be clearly articulated.
- It should be written in an inspiring tone.
- It must be relevant and current.
- It must reflect your organization’s uniqueness.
- It must be enduring.
- It must cater to all audiences.
step 3
Review, revise, validate and seek acceptance
A statement that is hurried will rarely inspire nor involve.
step 4
Operationalise the final version
When you’re confident that the mission statement is complete, produce a final version.
step 5
Keep the mission under review
Developing a mission statement is just the beginning. It must continue to review it with your company’s strategic plan. A mission statement can be key to creating a competitive advantage in these turbulent times.
Hope it was helpful. Now it is your turn. Let me know what is your worthy and inspiring business mission. Tel it to every one and see what happens. Have fun with it.
Talk soon
Hans