Mission
“People don’t buy what you do. They buy “why” you do it.” – Simon Sinek
"There are many tools available to help write a mission or vision statement. but I think it's often best to keep it simple - one or two sentences - and describe why the business exist. What is the core value or the daily purpose? Write it down and share it with everyone!" - Joanna Meiseles
A mission statement explains why does an organisation exist? What is its reason of existence? It is a statement of purpose. It Answers three questions about why an organization exists
WHAT it does
WHO it does it for
HOW it does what it does
Businessdictionary.com defines mission as, “A written declaration of an organization's core purpose and focus that normally remains unchanged over time.”
Merriam-Webster denies mission statement as “something that states the purpose or goal of a business or organization.” The company's mission statement emphasizes its ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of the community.”
Mission describes who primary customers are, products, services, markets, competitive advantage, philosophy of the business and also relationship with customers, employees, suppliers, and the community.
If the organisation does not have a mission statement, it should create one. Not necessarily the lengthy one but the accurate one which clearly explains what the business stands for. It should be communicated to everybody in the organisation and each employee should not only follow in letter but also in spirit the mission of the organisation.
It does not really matter whether it is one line or the detailed one. What really matters is that it succinctly conveys what an organisation stands for and that each and every employee of the organisation rallies behind the mission.
Some of the examples are:
Infosys: "To achieve our objectives in an environment of fairness, honesty, and courtesy towards our clients, employees, vendors and society at large."
TCS: Our mission reflects the Tata Group's longstanding commitment to providing excellence: To help customers achieve their business objectives by providing innovative, best-in-class consulting, IT solutions and services. To make it a joy for all stakeholders to work with us.
HUL: Our Corporate Purpose states that to succeed requires "the highest standards of corporate behaviour towards everyone we work with, the communities we touch, and the environment on which we have an impact."
ICICI Bank: ... be the banker of first choice for our customers by delivering high quality, world-class products and services.
Why should an organisation have a mission statement?
It is very important to have clearly written and communicated mission statement. Mission gives a sharp focus to the organisation and each employee is very clear what is expected out of him / her. The reasons why an organisation must have a mission statement are:
- It gives the organisation a specific direction.
- It focuses the organisation’s future.
- It provides a strong base for decision making.
- It helps in creating strategy.
- It helps in fitment of the new hires with the organisation
- It facilitates evaluation and improvement
Contact us to develop a compelling mission.