What constitutes a stellar mission statement? Is it a concise sentence encapsulating your company’s purpose, a catchy slogan, or something deeper? Exceptional mission statements etch a lasting imprint of your brand in the minds of consumers, influencing their choice in your favor over other competitors. An impactful mission statement seamlessly integrates your core values and mirrors your organization’s personality. So, how can you embark on crafting your own compelling mission statement, and which companies are setting the gold standard?
Let’s delve into the essence of a mission statement, the steps to craft one, and examine 12 outstanding examples from leading enterprises.
Understanding a Mission Statement:
A mission statement is an action-based declaration defining an organization’s purpose and how it serves its customers. It outlines the company, its activities, and objectives. A quality mission statement brings clarity to the “what,” “who,” and “why” of your company, serving as a guiding principle for all operations.
Typically, mission statements range from one to three sentences, with the best being a succinct single sentence, not exceeding 100 words. It should be ingrained in your employees’ minds, communicated during recruitment, and prominently featured in onboarding materials.
Crafting a Mission Statement:
To create a compelling mission statement, follow these steps:
- Interview Leadership: Engage leadership to understand their perception of the company’s purpose. Uncover challenges addressed, the motivation behind working for the company, customer values, and the desired company image.
- Identify Common Themes: Extract common themes from leadership interviews, distill them into paragraphs, and then refine for clarity, inspiration, uniqueness, and credibility.
- Avoid Common Mistakes:
- Leaving Little Space for Inspiration: Ensure your mission statement goes beyond a fact sheet, inspiring both your strategy and workforce.
- Lacking Personality and Fun: Infuse your mission statement with your company’s unique personality to reflect its culture.
- Using Buzzwords and Jargon: Utilize clear language that directly communicates your company’s purpose, avoiding unnecessary jargon.
- Present to Leadership: Propose mission statement options to leadership, gather feedback, and be open to iterations. It’s a collaborative process that requires time for refinement.
12 Examples of Exceptional Mission Statements:
JetBlue: “To inspire humanity — both in the air and on the ground.”
Tesla: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
TED: “Spread ideas.”
LinkedIn: “To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
PayPal: “To build the web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.”
Amazon: “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company…”
Asana: “To help humanity thrive by enabling all teams to work together effortlessly.”
Nike: “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.*”
Nordstrom: “To give customers the most compelling shopping experience possible.”
American Express: “We work hard every day to make American Express the world’s most respected service brand.”
Patagonia: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
Workday: “To put people at the center of enterprise software.”
Implementing Your Mission Statement:
Once crafted, ensure your exceptional mission statement permeates your organization. Present it to leadership, communicate it to employees, include it in materials, and recognize those embodying its values. Positive reinforcement strengthens awareness, morale, and company culture, aligning your team with purpose and meaning.
Crafting and implementing a strong mission statement takes effort, but it positions your company on a purposeful trajectory. If you need help crafting an exceptional mission statement for your company, contact the team at Frostbolt here.