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Don’t make your mission statement self-serving.
Like I said,
you have to put
your customer base first, and that means refraining from overloading your mission
statement with ‘we’. Yes, your mission statement is about your company, but only
about what your company can offer. Don’t get too caught
up in your ambition and
lose sight of that.
Think in verbs.
The mission statements listed above all start with “to ____”. To
offer, to give, to inspire. These are all verbs, and who is the recipient of these
actions? The customer. If you think of what your company does in terms of verbs,
it’s easier to maintain the focus on your customers and not yourself.
Reflect on why your company does what it does.
Every
company needs a
fundamental reason to exist, often simply called
a ‘why’
. If your why is just to
sell
and make money, that’s not good. Your business needs to have a reason to
improve people’s lives somehow. You then need to incorporate that reason into
your mission statement. Warby Parker’s mission statement does this wonderfully:
“To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price,
while leading the way for
socially-conscious businesses.”
You’ll want to draft several mission statements, anywhere from
10-30. It’s okay if they don’t sound perfect. Right now, you want
to think of as many statements as possible to give you the most
options to work with.
Next, narrow it down. Which mission statements summarize your goals best? Which
ones would you identify with most if you were the customer?
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You might need to change your mission statement over time. As your business
grows, you’ll get a better idea of the value you provide and what your specific
objectives are. Update your mission statement
accordingly and make sure
everyone on your team knows what it is.
Here’s an excellent guide from The Balance
that provides some tips for writing
a great mission statement. This step helps you think like the most successful
businesses in the world and allows you to align actions with goals.
