How to Come up with a Business Mission Statement That Doesn't Suck

If we were really honest with ourselves, we would admit that most mission statements suck.

When it comes to mission statements, people act funny.

People know they’re supposed to create one. Maybe they heard an inspirational speech at a conference or read an exciting article about mission statements. So they have a meeting and create their own mission statements.

After a few hours of head-banging and frustration, they emerge with a long-winded and boring paragraph about their company.

It’s the mission statement.

But it doesn’t work. It doesn’t inspire. It doesn’t motivate. It doesn’t make an impact.

If you were to read the mission statement, it would sound like a hodgepodge of corporate speak, visionary dreaming, and motivational platitudes.

Not exactly the most exciting thing in the world.

Is creating a mission statement even worth the time or effort? Should you write one? Is it going to make an impact on your life and business?

I tend to think that creating a mission statement is a good idea. But I’m not a huge fan of most of the mission statements that I read.

Obviously, there are a few great exceptions. (I’ll share some of these below.) For the most part, however, mission statements fall short of their lofty goals.

From my experience working with hundreds of businesses and from launching several successful businesses of my own, I want to share a few of the things that I’ve learned about mission statements.

After reading this article, you should be able to create a mission statement that doesn’t suck.

Should you write a mission statement, a vision statement, or both?

First, let me try to clear up a common misunderstanding about mission statements vs. vision statements.

Usually, these are created at the same time. They are easy to get confused.

Here’s a simple definition that makes it easy to remember the difference:

• Mission statement:  What you plan to do.
• Vision statement:  What you want to do.

Here are a few other ways to consider the difference:

• A mission statement has more to do with plans and programs.
• A vision statement has more to do with values and ideals.

• A mission statement motivates to action.
• A vision statement inspires hope.

• A mission statement drives towards goals.
• A vision statement aspires towards values.

For the purpose of this article, I’m focusing on the mission statement, since it’s the rubber-meets-the-road of business.

However, don’t gloss over the importance of your vision. It’s crucial to understand your vision for business before you can articulate your mission.

Now, let’s dive into some tips.

Make it short.

Here’s the mission statement of TED. It’s only two words!

“Spread ideas.”

That’s even shorter than their tagline, which is “ideas worth spreading.” (Same thing, huh?)

Source

Obviously, your mission statement doesn’t need to be that short, but you should aim for something much less than a paragraph!

This, for example, is probably too long:

Remember...

• It’s not an explanation.
• It’s not a description.
• It’s not a defense.
• It’s not a definition.
• It’s not your purpose.
• It’s not your plan.
• It’s not your program.
• It’s not your product line.
• It’s not your accomplishments.

It’s a statement of your mission.

[Mic drop.]

One company, TopNonProfits, studied the statements of 50 nonprofit organizations and found that the average length of their mission statements is 15.3 words.

Here are some examples:

Livestrong (8 words):

To inspire and empower people affected by cancer.

The Humane Society (4 words):

Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty.

American Heart Association (10 words):

To build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

It’s okay to write a longer statement, just as long as it doesn’t get too out-of-hand. You don’t need to describe anything in your mission statement that you don’t want to do or don’t do very well.

Here are some longer mission statements that work well:

NPR (28 words):

To work in partnership with member stations to create a more informed public – one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures. 

Doctors Without Borders (21 words):

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) works in nearly 70 countries providing medical aid to those most in need regardless of their race, religion, or political affiliation. 

Make it actionable.

Your mission statement is not going to live in a frame on a wall.

It is going to be put into action. The wording doesn’t need to be a literary accomplishment. It needs to be something that you can act on.

Advance Auto Parts has a mission statement that is easy to act on:

It is the Mission of Advance Auto Parts to provide personal vehicle owners and enthusiasts with the vehicle related products and knowledge that fulfill their wants and needs at the right price. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff will help inspire, educate and problem-solve for our customers.

With that mission, you know that Advance Auto Parts is

• Selling vehicle products for vehicle owners.
• Making sure that the price is right.
• Employing friendly, knowledgeable, and professional staff.
• Helping their customers solve problems.
• Etc.

The drugstore chain CVS has a short mission statement:

We will be the easiest pharmacy retailer for customers to use.

With that action-oriented statement, CVS leaders and employees know what to do — make the retail experience easy for customers.

Make it concrete.

Here’s where the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement becomes important.

Vision statements are often fuzzy and feel-good. There’s nothing wrong with that. The purpose of the vision statement is to inspire and to focus on ideals.

But a mission statement is different. There should be nothing fuzzy about it. In other words, you should be able to understand exactly what the business is going to do, make, create, or sell as a result of that mission statement.

If you start using big words and fancy phrases in your mission statement, it stops being clear. Try to make your mission statement so simple that a 2nd-grader can easily understand it.

An example of the confusion between the mission and vision comes from Microsoft

Their “mission” statement is to

Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

This is more of a vision, though. It’s a good one, but it doesn’t have anything to do with Microsoft’s core competencies of producing software.

Apple’s vision and mission are wordy, but they do a better job of figuring out what’s mission and what’s vision.

Here’s their vision as stated by Tim Cook:

Apple’s current vision statement was introduced by CEO Tim Cook, who stated, “We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing. We are constantly focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple not the complex. We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products that we make, and participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution. We believe in saying no to thousands of projects, so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot. And frankly, we don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change.”

That’s about values — greatness, innovation, simplicity, contribution, importance, meaning, excellence, etc.

This is their mission statement. It’s about products.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Some people don’t like this mission statement. It lacks the “magical and inspirational” character that they were wishing for.

You can find magic and inspiration in the vision statement, not the mission statement. A mission statement defines in very concrete terms what the company is doing.

Put it into the present tense.

A mission statement should describe what is happening, not what you want to happen.

In other words, you should state your mission in such a way that indicates you’ve already achieved it. Stating your mission statement as a reality helps to frame the vision in the right way — as something you are actually accomplishing right now!

Here’s Nissan:

Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and services that deliver superior, measurable values to all stakeholders in alliance with Renault.

They’re not trying or wanting. They are doing.

Write your mission statement in the present tense, and you’ll discover that it has far more power.

It can change.

Your mission statement isn’t a one-and-done deal. You don’t write it down, stick it in a drawer, and forget about it.

Instead, you change your mission statement as your company matures, scales, and pivots.

Here is how the mission statement of Starbucks has changed:

Be willing to reword, revise, and completely redo your mission statement.

Conclusion

A mission statement doesn’t have to be a long and complicated process.

It can be fairly simple and straightforward, as long as you keep in mind these key principles:

• Make it short.
• Make it clear.
• Make it actionable.
• Make it concrete.
• Put it in the present tense.
• Allow it to change.

Your mission statement can and should affect your business. Why? Because it defines what you are accomplishing and will accomplish in the future.

Writing a mission statement is as powerful as writing down your future. Give it a try. Create a mission statement that will transform your business.

Why don’t you share your mission statement below?