A strong company culture is essential for the success of any business. That requires clear sense of purpose and direction. One way to achieve this is by embracing four important statements: the Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Goals, and Values.
In this article, we’ll explore what each statement is, its importance, and best practices for writing and sharing them.
We suggest hanging them prominently in your office, making sure every employee is familiar with them, and using them as guiding principles throughout your business. By doing this, you can create a sense of purpose and direction for your team, and inspire everyone to work towards a common goal.
Establishing Your Mission
What is a mission statement?
A mission statement is a statement that defines a company’s purpose. It should include what your company does, who you do it for, how you do it, and what you hope to achieve.
Why is a mission statement important?
A mission statement is important because it serves as a compass for a company. It helps to guide decision-making, provides clarity and direction for employees, and helps to align everyone around a common goal. A well-crafted mission statement can also differentiate a company from competitors by communicating its unique purpose and values. It can inspire and motivate employees and stakeholders, and ensure that everyone is working towards a shared vision.
What’s the best way to write a mission statement?
To write the best mission statement, we recommend following this format: Mission into, action verb, for whom, to do what, by doing what, so that what benefit can be had. Keep your statement concise, memorable, and easy to understand. By following this format, you can create a guiding force for decision-making that inspires your employees, customers, and stakeholders to work towards a shared goal.
Here are some examples of mission statements to help you out:
- Travel Experience Provider: Our mission is to connect travelers with unforgettable experiences by curating the best local activities and attractions so that they can make the most of their journeys.
- Flexible Office Space Provider: Our mission is to revolutionize the way people work by creating innovative, flexible office spaces that foster creativity and collaboration so that businesses can thrive.
- Women’s Empowerment Organization: Our mission is to empower women to achieve their full potential by providing high-quality education and mentorship programs so that they can become leaders in their fields.
- Art Platform: Our mission is to inspire creativity and self-expression by providing a platform for artists and creators to share their work with the world so that everyone can experience the joy of art.
Defining Your Vision
The Power of a Vision Statement
A vision statement is a statement that communicates the long-term aspirations and goals of a company. It outlines what a company wants to become and the impact it wants to make in the world. A well-crafted vision statement can inspire and motivate employees and stakeholders, providing them with a sense of purpose and direction.
Vision Statement vs. Mission Statement
While a mission statement describes the “now” of a company (what it does, who it serves, why, etc.), a vision statement looks towards the future.
A vision statement describes what a company wants to achieve and the legacy it hopes to leave behind. It’s an important tool for guiding decision-making and ensuring that everyone is working towards a shared vision. A vision statement should be aspirational, concise, and aligned with the company’s values and mission.
How to Write a Vision Statement
Writing a compelling vision statement starts with envisioning a future that you’re working towards. It should be aspirational, inspiring, and align with your company’s values and mission. A good vision statement should communicate a clear and compelling direction for your company, and motivate and inspire employees and stakeholders.
To write a vision statement, start by identifying your long-term goals and aspirations, and the impact you want to make in the world. Use inspiring language and vivid imagery to communicate your vision, and make sure that it is achievable and aligned with your company’s mission. For example:
- Travel Experience Provider: We’re committed to becoming the world’s leading provider of personalized travel experiences, connecting travelers with unforgettable adventures and creating lifelong memories.
- Flexible Office Space Provider: Our goal is to transform the way people work by creating a global network of flexible, inspiring workspaces that foster collaboration, creativity, and success.
- Women’s Empowerment Organization: We’re working to become the world’s leading organization for empowering and supporting women in all fields and to create a world where women have equal opportunities to achieve their dreams and become leaders.
- Art Platform: We’re looking to revolutionize the art world by creating a global platform that connects artists and creators with art enthusiasts, collectors, and fans around the world, and inspires creativity and self-expression on a global scale.
Setting Goals
Goals are tangible ways your company will carry out its mission and progress toward its vision. They are specific, measurable, and time-bound targets that your company aims to achieve. Goals help to provide direction and focus for your company’s efforts. They help to ensure that everyone is aligned around a common set of objectives and provide a clear way to measure progress. Your goals should be specific, measurable, and time-bound.
To write goals for your company, follow these steps:
- Identify your company’s mission and vision. Your goals should be aligned with your company’s overall purpose and direction.
- Identify areas where you want to improve or grow. Consider your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Make your goals specific, measurable, and time-bound. Each goal should have a clearly defined target, a way to measure progress, and a deadline for completion.
- Prioritize your goals. Identify which goals are most important and will have the biggest impact on your company’s success.
- Assign responsibilities. Make sure that each goal has a clear owner and that everyone in your company knows their role in achieving the goal.
- Create an action plan. Identify the steps you need to take to achieve each goal, and assign specific tasks to each team member.
- Monitor progress. Regularly review progress towards your goals and adjust your action plan as necessary.
When writing your goals, make sure that they are challenging but achievable. Your goals should stretch your company’s capabilities but not be so unrealistic that they become demotivating. By setting clear and specific goals, you can provide your company with a clear direction and focus, and ensure that everyone is working towards a common set of objectives. Below are some examples of goals.
Travel Experience Provider:
- Expand our range of travel experiences to include more unique and off-the-beaten-path adventures.
- Increase our customer satisfaction rating by 10% within the next year.
- Partner with more local businesses and organizations to provide more authentic and immersive travel experiences.
Flexible Office Space Provider
- Expand our network of flexible office spaces to include more locations in major cities around the world.
- Increase our membership base by 25% within the next year.
- Enhance our technology infrastructure to provide more seamless and efficient office space management.
Women’s Empowerment Organization
- Expand our mentorship program to reach 10,000 women within the next 5 years.
- Increase the number of scholarship opportunities for women in underserved communities.
- Partner with more businesses and organizations to provide more leadership and career development opportunities for women.
Art Platform
- Expand our platform to include more types of art and creative media.
- Increase our user base by 50% within the next year.
- Provide more opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their work and connect with art enthusiasts.
Creating Company Values
Values are the beliefs and principles through which your company creates and carries out its goals. They define your company’s culture and guide decision-making. Values help to shape your company’s culture and can be used as a guide for employees to make decisions that align with your company’s goals. They can also help to differentiate your company from competitors. Your values should be written in a way that is easy to understand and memorable. They should be specific and actionable so that they can be used as a guide for decision-making.
To write values for your company, follow these steps:
- Identify the core beliefs and principles that guide your company’s decisions and actions. What are the fundamental principles that drive your company’s culture and shape its identity?
- Identify the behaviors that are expected of your employees. What attitudes and actions do you want your employees to embody, and how do these behaviors align with your company’s goals and mission?
- Prioritize your values. Identify which values are most important and will have the biggest impact on your company’s success.
- Make your values specific and actionable. Each value should be written in a way that is easy to understand and remember, and should provide clear guidance for decision-making.
- Communicate your values. Make sure that your values are clearly communicated to your employees, customers, and stakeholders, and that they are consistently reflected in your company’s actions and decisions.
- Hold employees accountable. Make sure that your employees understand the importance of your company’s values, and that they are held accountable for upholding them.
When writing your values, consider your company’s mission and vision, and how your values align with them. Your values should be authentic and reflect the unique identity of your company. By articulating your company’s values, you can provide a clear framework for decision-making and create a sense of shared purpose and identity among your employees. Here are some examples:
Travel Experience Provider:
- Curiosity – Always seeking out new and exciting experiences for our customers.
- Authenticity – Providing genuine and unique experiences that reflect the local culture and community.
- Responsiveness – Listening to our customers and constantly adapting to their needs and preferences.
Flexible Office Space Provider
- Innovation – Constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in office space design and management.
- Collaboration – Fostering an environment that encourages collaboration and creativity among our members.
- Flexibility – Providing solutions that adapt to the changing needs and preferences of our members.
Women’s Empowerment Organization
- Empowerment – Providing women with the tools, resources, and support they need to achieve their goals and aspirations.
- Inclusivity – Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion in all aspects of our organization.
- Accountability – Holding ourselves and our partners accountable for promoting gender equality and empowering women.
Art Platform
- Creativity – Celebrating and promoting the power of creativity and self-expression.
- Community – Building a global community of artists, art enthusiasts, and collectors who share a passion for art.
- Accessibility – Making art more accessible to everyone, regardless of their background, experience, or resources.
Why This is Important
By embracing these four statements as guiding principles for your business, you can create a sense of purpose and direction for your team, and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal. While physically displaying these statements on your office walls can be a powerful way to keep them top of mind, the most important thing is that everyone in your business understands and embraces them as a guiding force for decision-making and progress.
So, take the time to craft the perfect mission statement, vision statement, goals, and values for your business, and ensure that everyone understands their importance and how they can be used to guide your company to success.