In this post, we’ll unpack all you need to know about Business Mission Statements, defining exactly what they are, the power of them, how to create them and more.
What Is A Business Mission Statement?
A Business Mission Statement (BMS) is an action-based statement that defines what product or service an organisation offers, who the organisation’s ideal customers are and how the organisation intends on serving them. More simply, it’s a reference for an organisation’s day-today activities.
The difference between a mission statement and a vision statement is that a mission statement focuses on the present and on what a business does, who it does it for and how it does it, whereas a vision statement focuses on the future and why a business exists. Both are critical to success.
The Power Of A Business Mission Statement
A Business Mission Statement provides motivation, focus and direction for everyone inside an organisation, aligning and orienting their behaviour towards specific desired goals. It drives growth, promotes innovation and breakthrough ideas and helps attract the best talent.
As well as communicating to people internally in the form of employees, a BMS also communicates to people externally in the form of customers by informing them what to expect so they can decide whether the organisation’s beliefs and values align with their own. Thus, it helps attract customers that are most suited and most valuable to a business.
Culture is king. A BMS also helps establish and shape an organisation’s culture ― a critical component to building and sustaining a highly successful business and driving explosive growth.
Once an organisation has created a BMS, it can develop and then implement systems and strategies that reinforce its identity and achieve its goals.
How To Create An Effective Business Mission Statement
An effective Business Mission Statement can differentiate your organisation from your competitors. Consequently, it must speak directly to your employees. After all, it is they who will need to “walk the talk.”
There are 3 essential questions your statement must answer:
- What do we do?
- Who do we do it for?
- How do we do it?
For example, Adobe‘s mission statement is “To move the web forward [what] and give web designers and developers [who] the best tools and services in the world [how].”
However, creating a BMS is not enough. You need to ensure that employees act on it. Highly successful organisations do this by flooding their environment with a clear set of signals that communicate a simple message: This is what we’re doing.
It is also important to remember that as your organisation evolves, so will your statement and therefore it should be viewed as a living document that will continuously be revisited and revised so that it accurately reflects your current operations.
Summary
A Business Mission Statement is a tool for communicating both internally and externally what product or service your organisation offers, who your organisation’s ideal customers are and how your organisation intends on serving them.
A BMS serves as an internal compass, guiding your organisation to make decisions that align with your philosophy and what your organisation wants to do and ultimately it is a key component to success.
