Organization Mission Statement

Note: For larger firms this may already exist in a public way (e.g., found in annual report, found on corporate website) but for many others this may need to be formulated.

The organization mission statement consists of a short, finely-honed paragraph that considers the following issues (Length: 1 paragraph):

1. Identifies a stable (i.e., not dramatically changing every year), long-run vision of the organization that can answer such questions as:
   • Why is the organization in business?
   • What markets does the organization serve and why does it serve these markets?
   • In general terms, what are the main benefits the organization offers to its customers?
     • e.g., a low-price software provider may state they offer “practical and highly affordable business solutions”
   • What does the organization want to be known for?
   • What is the organization out to prove to the industry, customers, partners, employees, etc.?
   • What is the general organizational philosophy for doing business?
   • What products/services does the organization offer?
2. In developing the vision presented in the mission statement consider:
   • Organization’s History
     • Discuss how organization started and major events of the organization, products, markets served, etc.
   • Resources and Competencies
     • Consider what the organization currently possesses by answering the following:
       • In general, what is the organization good at doing?
       • What is special about the organization compared to current and future competitors (in general terms do not need to mention names)?
       • What does the organization do that gives it a competitive advantage?
     • Consider the questions above in terms of:
       • people, products, financial position, technical and research capabilities, partnership/supply chain relations, others
   • Environment
     • Consider the conditions in which the organization operates including:
       • physical (e.g., facilities), equipment, political regulatory, competitive, economic, technological, others