How to Write a Mission Statement

Writing a company mission statement will help you and your employees focus on a common goal and give everyone a benchmark to gauge performance.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Pens
• Spiral Notebooks

1. Include everybody whose perception of your company matters. Collect as many ideas as you can.

2. Define your company. Think carefully about what role it plays in the industry and community.

3. State the things to which you're dedicated. Are you dedicated to quality, your customers, your success?

4. Assess the value of your product. Use written questionnaires to poll your customers, suppliers, strategic partners and other external parties about the benefits of and ideals behind your product.

5. Set up a small committee to go through the ideas you have collected and incorporate them into your company's mission statement.

6. Give the mission statement high visibility; post it in the lobby and halls. People will see it every day and be reminded of what their work means.

Tips & Warnings

• Live your mission statement every day. In order to gain credibility with your employees, customers and vendors, you must practice what you preach.

• Be realistic. Set standards that are reasonable and reachable by you and your employees.