The most common initial act in establishing organizational direction is an organizational mission. The statement that describes the mission talks about the target market and also talks about its strategy to be profitable by providing good customer service through friendly and knowledgeable people. It is essential to look into external influences like labor, conditions, competitors, government rules while considering mission statement.
Company’s mission statement should define stakeholders expected return along with the measurement of the performance of the company through those returns. The expected profit too should be included in the organization’s mission. Moreover, the company should come to consensus as to what all areas should be measured like margin growth, efficiency, competitive cost position, product quality, market share etc.
A mission statement sets the boundaries for how resources should be allocated and what strategic and operational goals should be set. The mission statement should acknowledge the company’s strength and then inform employees where to direst their efforts in order to take advantage of those strength. It is often helpful to allow company-wide input when creating a mission statement. Employees from throughout the organization can help identify the core values of the company. It is important to keep in mind that there will be a draft process involving in creating the mission statement. Employees can often provide invaluable insight on how to improve on each draft. In the end the mission statement should reflect the personality of the organization. Thus each company should be creative and unique in developing its own statement. Creating a mission committee that consists of members of management, front-line employees. Communicating the mission statement to customers to make them feel valued and important. It can be sending to customers in a mass mailing or posted or signs in areas those customers frequent. It sets the forth the goals of the organizations so customers know what to expect when doing business with the company.
Mission and vision statements give organizations a focus and a strategy for the future. Setting up meetings with members of management and front-line employees can often help uncover areas where the company does not meet the standard sets by the mission statement.
In conclusion mission statement provides a sense of direction and purpose. In times of change and growth they can be an anchor and a guide in decision makings. The benefit far outweigh the disadvantages and challenges when looking at the potential for increase in profitability and returns. Defining an organization by what it produce and who it satisfies are the main target towards creating a sound and stable mission statement. Setting a company apart from the competition is one of the biggest advantages.
Examples of Mission Statement
As mentioned, a mission statement is a summary statement of a company’s or an organization’s purpose about what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. A good mission statement can help the company or an organization to achieve what it wants.
A good mission statement should be visionary, broad, realistic, motivational, short and concise and easily understood. Starbucks Coffee Company’s mission statement is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” Does it meet all the criteria a mission statement should have?
Based on the mission statement, Starbucks Coffee Company is visionary by aspire to inspire and nurture the human spirit with their product. The statement is broad enough. As we all know, Starbucks Coffee Company is famous for its Coffee. However, it also serves other beverage. In the mission statement, Starbucks Coffee Company did not mention the word Coffee. It does not limit itself to only selling Coffee. Instead of using “one person, one cup of coffee and one neighborhood at a time” in their mission statement, Starbucks Coffee Company uses “one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time” which help Starbucks Coffee Company to not limit itself in the products they provide.
The mission statement of Starbucks Coffee Company is realistic. It is achievable by the company. Some company will over promise in their mission statement. In this case, they will produce an unrealistic mission statement that is impossible to achieve. However, Starbucks Coffee Company did not make the same mistake. It is possible to inspire and nurture the human spirit with their product in one person having a cup of their product in a neighborhood at a time.
Starbucks Coffee Company’s mission statement is motivational. As mentioned just now, the mission statement should not be set too high. It should also not be too easy to achieve. Some challenge is needed to achieve the mission so that the mission provides motivation to the employees. By stating to have a person having a cup in a neighborhood at a time, Starbucks Coffee Company sets a challenging but achievable mission. It is not easy to have at least one person to have your product in a neighborhood at a time because it figuratively means that to have a person to drink a cup of Starbucks Coffee Company’s product in every neighborhood that has a Starbucks Coffee Company outlet at all times. Besides that, it uses its inspirational value to motivate its employee. By stating that they will inspire and nurture the human spirit, it inspires employees’ and customers’ commitment.
A short and concise mission statement should not more than 25 words. Starbucks Coffee Company’s mission statement is short but very clear. In its mission statement, Starbucks Coffee Company shows that it is trying to inspire and nurture the human spirit with their product by a person having a cup of Starbucks Coffee Company product in a neighborhood at a time. It also clearly shows that its product is beverage as indicated by the word “a cup”. The mission statement of Starbucks Coffee Company is easily understood. It uses simple word so that everyone can understand just by looking at it.
Starbucks Coffee Company has design a good mission statement. It clearly shows what the company wants to achieve and what it can provide in a simple and easily understood form. However, some company does not have a good mission statement.
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Its mission statement is “Bayer: Science For A Better Life”. In terms of visionary, Bayer shows that it wanted to create a better life for humankind through science. The mission statement is realistic. It is possible to create a better life through science especially when Bayer focuses on health care, nutrition and other high-tech material which can help to make life easier.
It is motivational as it expresses the company value and philosophy which could engage the employees and customers to the company. By stating that to create a better life out of science, Bayer tells the company employees that they are actually doing something that could make an impact to the humankind. Employee will be motivated as they can see themselves engaging in a company which they could contribute something to the society.
Bayer’s mission statement seems to have no problem. However, in terms of short and concise, Bayer did not achieve it. The mission is short but it is not concise enough. The mission statement is telling us that Bayer is serving some science related product. We do not know that what kind of product they actually serve. Will it be healthcare? Will it be a environmental-related product or is it a lab to produce new innovative products? The mission statement is too broad that we do not understand the actual product Bayer is producing. Besides that, it does not show how the company could make a better life out of science. The mission statement is very unclear.
The mission statement is easily understood literally. The problem is the mission statement is not clear in the sense of it is too simple. It does not clarify on the product it produces and how does it make the world a better place. It only gives the idea of producing or using science to make a world a better place without further explain on what type of better place Bayer can provide.
In conclusion, a mission statement should be able to bring out the message of what the company wants to achieve, brings motivation and can be understand easily by others. A mission statement can help the company to act as a guideline. That is why a mission statement should be clear and precise.