I’ve worked with larger firms that spend a great deal of time on vision and mission. No objection here. I like a good mission statement as much as the next person.
But, I often see the following missteps in mission statements: Too many times, they are:
- Written as aspirations of business goals from an inside view, oftentimes in lofty jargon that only means something to the person who composed it. The focus is more on leadership’s goals than what it might mean to customers and employees.
- Laundry lists of products and features, indistinguishable from other companies in the same sector. There’s no impetus to buy from you instead of anyone else.
- Used as part of messaging or communications strategies--for which they tend to be way too broad, often unclear as to the action that should come next.
That last one is where I see a lot of companies get tripped up. But there’s a big difference between internal-facing guiding principles and audience-directed messaging. The two cannot exist interchangeably.
What’s Missing in Your Mission?
If you want a construct for writing a good mission statement, see the Business Made Simple online course. One of the questions the course proposes is, "Is your mission statement actually giving people a mission?" Generated by the Storybrand folks, you know the principles are anchored in meaning versus features.
So, let’s write a mission statement, acknowledging that it’s not specific enough to serve as a messaging platform for action-oriented marketing. Whenever you’re ready, let's discuss how the right marketing strategy can lead to the growth you expect for your business.
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