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I entered into the world of mission statements a few years ago when someone asked me what the mission statement was for my business. I said, “It is written down in my office somewhere, I don’t know it off the top of my head.” The look on their face was surprising then and of course, they did not do business with my company.

Some ask if business mission statements or personal mission statements are that important.
Mission statements are important for organizations of all types. A key reason for such importance is the mission statement’s guidance of strategic and day-to-day, operational decisions. Additionally, mission statements represent the glue that binds organizations together (Hitt, 1992).

There is an old saying, “If you do not know where you are going any road will do.” It is hard if not impossible to create a successful business if you do not know the direction you are heading. Your mission statement should be that guide or road, if you will, to direct you and your employees daily in what they are to keep mindful in order to provide the service or product you create.

Now, after writing more mission statements for individuals and businesses than I can count I wanted to explain a great procedure and tool to create a mission you can live by, memorize, and explain to communicate that road you are traveling. What I have found is once a business or individual can recite and keep that mission mindful they are more likely to maintain focus on what is important to them and keep on the path they have set.

We need to take a moment to define what a mission statement is versus what is touted as an important piece of management, personal and corporate identity that is the vision statement.

A vision statement is the overall high-level view that has little realistic ability to be achieved per se. It is what you or your business wants to become, not what is it or how it will do whatever it is you do.

This is quite different from my mission because I might achieve this; it is like a long-term rather specific goal. You do not achieve a mission you live it. A vision needs to be idealistic. It needs to show you and/or your employees that you have a direction they can buy into. It is not where the rubber hits the road.

A mission statement is where that rubber hits the road. It is your guiding direction, action, and method of doing what you do personally or professionally. It tells the reader who you are, what you do, and how you do it. I will elaborate on the process of those three steps; who you are, what you do and how you do it.

Before you get into the process of creating your mission, you need to have an idea of whom you are and what you actually do. This might sound ridiculous but let me tell you that I have worked with many wealthy and successful business people who have no idea what they actually do to make that money. Asking them who they are is a wonderful exercise because most people do not think about who they actually are and put it down in writing. Many people are resistant to put these questions down on paper because it makes it real and tangible. It makes them responsible and accountable for what they say. This is the point; you say it, write it, and then be it.