How can you differentiate your organization with a mission statement?

1 Define your core values

Before you write your mission statement, you need to identify the core values that drive your organization. These are the principles and beliefs that shape your culture, decisions, and actions. Your core values should be clear, consistent, and authentic. They should also be aligned with your vision and strategy. To define your core values, you can ask yourself questions such as: What do we stand for? What do we care about? How do we want to be perceived? How do we treat each other and our customers?

2 Focus on your impact

Your mission statement should not only describe what you do, but also why you do it and how you make a difference. Your impact is the value proposition that sets you apart from your competitors and resonates with your target audience. Your impact should be specific, measurable, and achievable. It should also be relevant to your industry, market, and social context. To focus on your impact, you can ask yourself questions such as: What problem do we solve? How do we improve lives? How do we create value? How do we contribute to society?

3 Keep it simple and concise

Your mission statement should be easy to understand and remember. It should be written in plain language, avoiding jargon, acronyms, and technical terms. It should also be concise, ideally no longer than one or two sentences. A long and complex mission statement can confuse and bore your readers, while a short and simple one can inspire and motivate them. To keep it simple and concise, you can ask yourself questions such as: What is the essence of our mission? How can we express it in the most direct and clear way? How can we avoid unnecessary words and details?

4 Involve your stakeholders

Your mission statement should not be created in isolation, but in collaboration with your stakeholders. These are the people who have an interest or influence in your organization, such as your customers, employees, partners, investors, and community. Involving your stakeholders can help you gain insights, feedback, and buy-in for your mission statement. It can also help you create a sense of ownership and commitment among your stakeholders. To involve your stakeholders, you can ask yourself questions such as: Who are our key stakeholders? How can we engage them in the process? How can we incorporate their perspectives and needs?

5 Review and refine

Your mission statement should not be a static or final product, but a dynamic and evolving one. You should review and refine your mission statement regularly, to ensure that it reflects your current reality and aspirations. You should also test and validate your mission statement, to ensure that it is effective and meaningful for your stakeholders. To review and refine your mission statement, you can ask yourself questions such as: How well does our mission statement capture our core values and impact? How does our mission statement align with our vision and strategy? How does our mission statement resonate with our stakeholders?

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?