Question

Topic: Strategy

Mission Statement

Posted by Anonymous on 6/25/2009 at 1:42 AM ET 50 Points
Hi my team is trying to come up with a mission/objective statement. This is an established co but never has tried to spell out its objective to guide the employees.

It was suggested that our Mission/objective should be: To be the no. 1 choice of [business] service provider in [city] by delivering quality and value-added services, communicating timely, flexiblity in services.

I feel the to be the best quality and value-add services provider cover both effective communication and flexilibity in delivery. We need to define more than that. However, some members felt we do not need to get to the details with mission statement.

What are your comments? Can you see the value that we are offering from the mission?

Thanks.



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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Mandy Vavrinak on 6/25/2009 at 9:48 AM Member
    The real problem with most mission statement is that most of them can be interchanged between companies offering completely different products or services and no one would know... they are so generic.

    Why spend the money (time your team is spending on this project) to come up with something that is just like everyone else's "mission"?Then you'll spend more money (hard and soft costs) to share it across the company and get posters of it printed, etc.

    What about starting with the objective of writing a mission statement that matters rather than the least offensive, most consensus-building, generic statement out there? Ask yourselves...

    "Why do we show up here everyday?" "Why do our employees?" "Why does our company president?"
    And really think about the answers.... and the differences in the answers. What about a mission statement that reflects making everyone's answer more than "because I get paid too?"

    What if your mission was something like:
    "XYZ Company will seek to attract and retain the best talent possible. We will challenge and reward that talent so our employees' very best will be reflected in everything we do, offering unique value to our customers and our shareholders by (something about your service or product here).

    ex: consistently bringing new products to the ink pen market first

    Good luck :)
    --
    Mandy Vavrinak


  • Posted on 6/25/2009 at 10:23 AM Author
    Thanks Phil
  • Posted on 6/25/2009 at 10:37 AM Author
    Thanks Mandy. Will certain put those questions on the table.

  • Posted on 6/25/2009 at 10:49 AM Author
    Hi Mandy, forgot to ask this: do we need include a line about employee and other stakeholders in our mission statement?
    Thanks.
  • Posted on 6/25/2009 at 10:50 AM Author
    Macus, thanks. Good questions to ask my team.
  • Posted by cookmarketing@gmail. on 6/25/2009 at 9:51 PM Member
    Best mission statement ever

    THINK

    Can be understood by anyone from CEO to lowest ranked worker and in any language.

    Keep it as simple as possible so everyone inside and outside the company understands
  • Posted by Mandy Vavrinak on 6/26/2009 at 12:51 PM Accepted
    "talent" in the example I posted refers to employees... but uses talent instead because your employees are your most valuable resource. You can sub stakeholders for shareholders... stakeholders certainly would cover shareholders, as well :)

    The general rule is to address the mission statement to the appropriate audience. Is it primarily an internal communication/ teambuilding/ motivational statement directed toward employees? Then make it about them and how the company intends to make working there worth it for the employees.

    Is the mission statement to be used to communicate what the company stands for to an external audience? If so, better address it to that audience and make it about what the company intends to do for customers to make buying its products or services worth the money & effort.

    Seems a little less lofty & pure to think of mission statements this way, but it will A.) keep you from having a terribly generic one and B.) generate something you'll actually be able to use to accomplish your purpose (just be sure to define the purpose / audience first). :)

    Best,
    --
    Mandy Vavrinak
  • Posted on 6/28/2009 at 11:26 PM Author
    Thanks All for your contributions.
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