A Simple Guide to Effective Mission and Vision Statements

Crafting impactful mission and vision statements is a crucial step for every company, regardless of its size or industry. These statements serve as guiding beacons to drive your business forward while defining the purpose, values and aspirations of your organization. 

When written effectively, mission and vision statements inspire employees while also resonating with customers and other stakeholders.

Whether you are a new company starting from scratch or simply want to refresh your existing mission and vision statements for greater impact, this post will walk you through the process of writing the best possible mission and vision statements for your business.

Understanding the difference between your company’s mission and vision

Before digging in and jotting down ideas for writing impactful mission and vision statements for your company, it’s a good idea to hit pause and clarify the difference between your company’s mission and vision. The two concepts are heavily correlated, of course, but understanding the subtle differences helps when crafting effective and meaningful descriptions of each. 

• Your mission statement succinctly answers the question, “Why does our company exist?” It articulates what you do, who you serve, and how you serve them.
• Your vision statement is a forward-looking declaration of where you aspire to be in the future. It paints a vivid picture of your company’s long-term goals and aspirations, inspiring stakeholders with a shared vision of success.

Reflect, share and refine

Begin the process of writing your mission and vision statement by defining the problem you aim to solve and thinking about what your company stands for and why it was founded. 

Once you have a rough draft, share it with key stakeholders. Engage employees, customers, and partners in the process to gain diverse perspectives.

Review and refine your statements as you go along. Remember that this is an iterative process and that the end product should be the result of multiple rounds of revisions.

Key attributes to an effective mission statement

A strong mission statement communicates the purpose, values and goals of your company as clearly and concisely as possible, ideally in no more than one or two sentences. 

In addition to brevity and clarity be sure your mission statement is:

• Inspiring and motivating to all stakeholders, including employees, customers and investors
• Aligned with the core values and principles that guide decision-making at your business
• Specific and focused, free of ambiguity
• Written to be timeless and differentiate your company from competitors in your industry
• Realistic and achievable within the context of your company’s capabilities
• Memorable and easy to articulate
• Flexible and capable of adapting to changing circumstances while maintaining its core meaning

Finding the right length for your vision statement

Loosely speaking, your vision statement should follow the same list of ideal characteristics, with a couple exceptions.

Some companies find value in extending their vision statement up to a full paragraph, when accurately capturing the essence of the organization’s future direction and aspirations cannot be done in one or two sentences. Do so, however, with caution, finding a way to include all necessary information without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. 

Also, your vision statement should align more closely with strategic plans and objectives. Think of your mission statement as a declaration of the purpose of your journey and the vision statement as a high-level roadmap to get you there.

Examples of fantastic mission and vision statements

It’s no surprise that many of the best examples of hyper-effective mission and vision statements come from the top companies in the world. Here are some of the favorites, chosen by the BRK Global Marketing Team.

Mission:

• Google – To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
• Tesla – To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
• Microsoft – To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
• Patagonia – Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
• IKEA – To create a better everyday life for the many people by offering well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.

Vision:

• Apple – To create innovative products that enrich people’s lives.
• Starbucks – To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.
• Amazon – To be Earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

If companies of this magnitude can refine their mission and vision into succinct, yet powerful statements, you can, too!

And now…not so effective mission and vision statements

For contrast, let’s look at a poor example and why it is ineffective:

“We strive to deliver high-quality products and services to our customers.”

On the surface, this might not sound too bad. After all, what company doesn’t want to deliver quality products and services to their customers? But this statement fails to meet any of the main criteria apart from being brief!

• The lack of specificity does tell us what the company actually does or who they serve.
• There is nothing that differentiates the company from the competition.
• The statement fails to inspire anyone.
• No course of action or decision-making guidelines are outlined.

Need help? We are here for you

Effective mission and vision statements are essential tools for any organization’s success, providing direction, inspiration, and alignment to leadership, employees, customers and external stakeholders. If you are struggling to land on a mission and vision you are happy with, an outside set of eyes could be the solution. 

At BRK Global Marketing, we understand the power of a well-crafted mission and vision and our team of experts is available to help you identify the essence of your brand and set your company on the path to success. Contact us today.