Mission: Statement

MISSION STATEMENT

WHAT IT IS

A Mission Statement is a clear statement of an organizations’ long-term mission.

2

RRR

11/30/09

WHAT IT DOES The mission statement summarizes the what, how, and why of an organization's work.

WHAT SHOULD BE 1.The mission statement should provide continued direction and focus to your plans and operations.

2. The mission statement is a concise description of the purpose of the organization.

3. It answers the question: Why does our organization exist? This includes the nature of your products and services, and the various groups of customers that buy the products and services.

HOW TO CREATE A MISSION STATEMENT

Clarify your beliefs and , build on them to define your mission statement which is a statement of purpose and function.

WHERE IT IS SEEN The mission statement should be posted throughout your organization, on all stationery, in your plan documents and paraphernalia.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD MISSION STATEMENT  

 



Your mission statement draws on your belief statements. Your mission statement must be future oriented and portray your organization as it will be, as if it already exists. Your mission statement must focus on one common purpose. Your mission statement must be specific to the organization, not generic. Your mission statement must be a short statement, not more than one or two sentences.

NOTE THAT…. A mission statement is like an introductory paragraph: it lets the reader know where the writer is going, and it also shows that the writer knows where he or she is going.

EXAMPLE 

"By providing quality education, we empower individuals to become caring, competent, responsible citizens who value education as a lifelong process."

Developing A Mission Statement



Developing a mission statement can be quick culture-specific, i.e., participants may use methods ranging from highly analytical and rational to highly creative and divergent, e.g., focused discussions, divergent experiences around daydreams, sharing stories, etc.



Therefore, visit with the participants how they might like to arrive at description of their organizational mission.

STEPS IN CREATING A MISSION STATEMENT

A. When wording the mission statement, consider the organization's products, services, markets, values, and concern for public image, and maybe priorities of activities for survival.

B. Ensure that wording of the mission is to the extent that management and employees can infer some order of priorities in how products and services are delivered.

C. Consider any changes that may be needed in wording of the mission statement because of any new suggested strategies during a recent strategic planning process.

D. When refining the

mission, a useful exercise is to add or delete a word from the mission to realize the change in scope of the mission statement and assess how concise is its wording.

E. Ask the question? Does the mission statement include sufficient description that the statement clearly separates the mission of the organization from other organizations?

Articulating Mission Statement .> Purpose - why the organization exists, and what it seeks to accomplish

> Business - the main method or activity through which the organization tries it fulfill this purpose

> Values - the principles or beliefs that guide an organization's members as they pursue the organization's purpose

AS A MATTER OF FACT ….. An organization's ability to articulate its mission indicates its focus and purposefulness.  A mission statement communicates the essence of an organization to the reader.

