By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated June 30, 2022 | Published May 17, 2021
Updated June 30, 2022
Published May 17, 2021
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A team meets in an office meeting room. A writing board is seen to the left of them, and the team sits at a large table in front of a wall of windows.
An organization's purpose is declared through its mission. Developing an organizational mission statement requires a deep understanding of what a company hopes to achieve and why. Though brief in format, an effective mission can communicate to those inside and outside the company a lot about a company's values and ambitions.
In this article, we discuss what an organizational mission statement is, explain its importance, show you how to write a mission and provide five examples of organizational missions to reference.
What is an organizational mission?
An organizational mission, also known as a mission statement, is a brief, broad statement about an organization's goals and how it intends to meet those goals. It often addresses what the organization offers and how it hopes to serve its customers, community, employees, investors or other stakeholders. Some mission statements may also include explanations of the principles that the organization values and hopes to abide by throughout its existence.
An organizational mission also helps to guide the actions of an organization. A related but different organizational statement is the vision statement, a declaration of what the organization hopes to become. The difference between a mission and a vision is that the former addresses the organization's purpose, whereas the latter focuses on aspirations for the future based on its current purpose.
Related: Vision Statements: Tips, Example and Importance
Why is an organizational mission important?
An organizational mission is a statement directed both internally and externally, so it helps inform how stakeholders at all levels perceive the organization. Among the factors that an organizational mission can affect are:
Brand
Brand refers to how customers relate to an organization. Part of the function of an organizational mission can is to determine stakeholders, including customers, so it can serve as an invitation to the target audience to explore what the organization offers. The brand also helps distinguish the organization from competitors. There may be similarities in the products or services that other organizations sell, but the mission can establish a unique purpose that resonates with customers.
Related: 4 Steps To Building a Brand
Culture
Organizational culture refers to the working environment in relation to an organization's stated values and goals. Culture can influence how members of an organization interact and function within its system, as it typically involves how the organization treats its stakeholders and how information flows through the organization. The factors that determine culture, such as organizational values and norms, stem from the mission.
Related: What Is Organizational Culture?
Morale
The organizational mission can also affect how employees relate to their duties by conveying purpose in the work they do. The mission can show that their responsibilities and actions are part of a larger ambition and help them see the value in their contributions are valuable. When employees see they serve a meaningful purpose, they are more likely to be satisfied in their work and remain with the organization for the long term.
Related: How To Boost Employee Morale
Standards
By declaring the organization's goals and plans for development, an organizational mission can create standards to which its members can aspire to meet. Employees can ask themselves whether their actions and output align with the values stated in the mission.
Related: 20 Guiding Principles Examples and Their Importance
How to create an organizational mission
Although a mission should be unique to the organization that creates it, there are certain components that a successful organizational mission should include, such as the organization's purpose, values and goals. You can follow these steps to write an organizational mission of your own:
1. Determine your purpose
Purpose is the reason that an organization exists. Many businesses serve similar general purposes, so it's important to be as specific as possible when declaring your organization's purpose. For example, a coffee company's general purpose would be to sell coffee, but its specific purpose as it relates to its mission should distinguish it from competitors, such as fostering an appreciation for coffee and the people who grow them.
Related: 8 Steps for Writing a Purpose Statement (With Examples)
2. Understand your purpose
Knowing the reasoning behind your purpose can help you write a clear, succinct mission, and including the reasoning in the emission can persuade stakeholders to support your cause and your business. In the above example of the coffee company, the founders might wish to highlight the hard work that goes into making coffee and to contribute to the everyday happiness of members of the community.
Related: 85 Best Teamwork Slogans To Motivate Your Staff
3. Determine your plan
Your plan refers to how you aim to fulfill your purpose and the long-term goals that align with it. This can be a general statement of what the organization does in relation to its values. The coffee company might state that it hopes to accomplish its goals by selling high-quality fair-trade coffee at reasonable prices to its customers.
The plan of selling "high-quality fair-trade coffee at reasonable prices to its customers" defines the company's objectives, which informs its daily operations and can function as an outline for future business developments.
Related: Team Mission Statement: What It Is and How To Write One
4. Condense your mission
Organizational missions are typically only a few sentences, and some are only a phrase, so a lot of information must fit in a small package. Try writing out a longer version of your mission that incorporates your purpose, reasoning and plan. Then see where you can cut down on words and combine sentences to produce the most concise statement you can achieve.
For example, the coffee company's mission includes several complicated details:
Its purpose is to foster an appreciation for coffee and coffee growers.
It wants to show the hard work involved with coffee growing as well as to serve the community.
It plans to fulfill its mission by selling a specific type of coffee at an affordable price point.
One might see that the first and third statements imply the ideas expressed in the second. Removing the second statement leaves only two statements, which can combine to express the organizational mission: "to foster an appreciation for coffee and its growers by selling high-quality fair-trade coffee at reasonable prices to our valued customers."
Related: How To Write an Effective Mission Statement
Examples of organizational missions
Seeing examples of organizational missions can give you an idea of how to write one yourself. Consider these examples of organizational missions, noting the varying lengths and formats:
Example 1
Company: A restaurant
Purpose: Serving tasty home-style meals in a family-friendly environment
Plan: Providing large portions and a welcoming experience
Organizational mission: "To provide you with an experience that leaves your belly and heart full."
This restaurant's organizational mission suggests that dining with them is both physically satisfying and emotionally pleasant.
Example 2
Company: A business application developer
Purpose: Improving workplace communication
Plan: Providing a format that is attractive, easy to use and streamlined
Organizational mission: "Dedicated to making a platform that speaks to you and for you."
This example employs abstract language that plays off the concept of communication to imply that the developer aims to produce applications that both appeals to users and simplifies workplace communication.
Example 3
Company: An outerwear company
*Purpose: Creating durable, comfortable outerwear for all*
*Plan: Donating a coat to charity for every coat bought*
*Organizational mission: "With every purchase of our outerwear, we provide a warm coat for fellow humans in need."*
Here, the organizational mission directly states how the company operates and also expresses its value of providing necessary items to the people who need them.
Example 4
Company: An international charity
Purpose: Establishing education infrastructure in underdeveloped areas of the world
Plan: Building and staffing schools
Organizational mission: "Our mission is to bring knowledge to the world."
This charity's mission encompasses the ambitiousness of its purpose and also elevates it to be a much larger idea. It speaks to the importance of the organization's mission.
Example 5
Company: A ride-hailing service and application
Purpose: Providing enjoyable and reliable transport to app users
Plan: Emphasizing customer service as a key skill for its drivers
Organizational mission: "It's our privilege to get you where you want to be."
This organizational mission communicates that the company wants its users to be pleased with their experience.
Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.