By Jack Perry
Just as you need a road map when you’re driving and unsure of where you’re going, you need direction for your career and your life. When you have something guiding you or a blueprint by which you can build your company or your life, you’ll have a greater chance for success. Whether you’re a company, a family, or an individual, you need a mission statement that will guide your decisions and lead you to who you want to be and what you want to achieve.
In recent years, more companies, individuals, and families have recognized the need for and the value of creating a mission statement. But for a mission statement to be truly effective, you need to do more than simply have it in your mind. You need to print it, display it, and make it known to your employees, your clients, your family, and everyone else. That way, it becomes something you live by every day. You can revert back to your mission statement when you make major decisions because it reflects who you are and what you want to achieve.
A mission statement reflects what you believe your purpose to be and what you value. From these basic fundamentals, you can then write a mission statement for yourself, your family, and your career. To create a mission statement you can live by every day, and one that will guide your decisions and increase your chances for success, you need to understand the guidelines of effective mission statements, why they’re important, and the steps you can take to create your own. The following guidelines will help.
1. A Mission Statement is a Part of You
To determine what to include in your mission statement, you will need to do a little introspection. Ask yourself what’s important to you and what you want to achieve. What direction do you want to take with your career and your life? Once you have a handle on these things, you will be able to start writing your mission statement and reviewing and refining it.
2. A Mission Statement is Value-Based
The most effective way to establish a mission statement is to begin with your own personal set of values. Take the time to determine what you really value in life – in both your professional and personal life. Write these values down. Each value should be one word. You might value integrity, trust, teamwork, family, and health. Now write a few sentences about these values that describe them with a little more detail. Your values will help shape your mission statement.
3. A Mission Statement is Long-Term
Mission statements are long-term guides for those who choose to live by them. They are an overall guide of what you choose to stand for, and you can use it as the basis for all of your major decisions. While your mission statement describes what you stand for, it should also represent how you want people to describe you, your family, your work ethic, and everything about you or your career.. Mission statements differ from goals because goals are specific to a certain situation. Also, goals may be long-term, but they are not as long-term as mission statements. However, your mission statement can reflect what some of your goals are, because your goals are part of who you are and what you want to achieve.
4. A Mission Statement is Concise
A brief mission statement is much more effective than a wordy one. Really think about what you want to achieve and what you want to convey, list all of the things that are important to you, and try to summarize it into a powerful statement that is less than twenty-five words. This can be difficult, but the most effective mission statements are very concise. The longer and more detailed your mission statement is, the harder it will be for you, your employees, your clients, or your family to remember it and therefore adhere to it.
5. A Mission Statement is a Commitment
Make your mission statement a priority, and make it known that it’s a priority. Test your mission statement to ensure it will actually work. Is it something that is reasonable and within the realm of your career, your family, or your capabilities? Once you are satisfied with your mission statement and ready to enact it, publish it. Display it where all of your clients, family membersand you can see it every day. When you take the time to create a mission statement, print it, and make it known to everyone involved, it becomes a commitment. Your mission statement will help keep you on course. It is something you must adhere to every day. The same rules apply for a company—get the team members involved.
Make Your Mission Statement Work for You
You might wonder if all of this is necessary if you’re not a company and just an individual with your own personal mission statement. The answer is yes. Writing your individual mission statement and displaying it is a great reminder for you every day of what your values are and what you want out of life. Plus, 25,000-30,000 thoughts cross your mind every day, so if you have only your mission statement in your mind and nowhere else, the chances are pretty good that you will forget it. But when you are reminded of it every day and live by it, that improves your chances for success.
Once you have taken the time to create a mission statement that reflects who you are and your values, and you’ve made it a priority, you will have a more defined focus. You will also have less noise around you, fewer interruptions, and fewer questions. A mission statement can bring you a sense of inner peace. You will have more courage as a result of your mission statement because it reminds you every day of what you stand for.
A mission statement also allows you to use your resources more effectively and efficiently. Other people who relate to your mission statement will respond, and those who don’t, won’t and that is OK. But you’ll be better off because those people aren’t a match for you. Overall, a mission statement gives you the satisfaction of choosing, implementing, and exercising your values and beliefs, gaining you greater control in your professional and personal life.
Mission from The Respect Factor® Series
THE RESPECT FACTOR® is a trademark of Jack Perry in the United States and other countries. Used with permission.
©2009 Jack Perry. All rights reserved.
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