This document discusses mission statements and their importance for organizations. It provides that mission statements answer the question "What is our business?" and reveal what an organization wants to be and whom it wants to serve. Effective mission statements are enduring statements of purpose that motivate employees and stakeholders. They should be broad enough to allow for growth but limited to exclude some ventures. The document also lists common components of mission statements such as customers, products/services, and concern for employees.

2. Mission Statements
Recent Data indicate that:
– 90% of all companies have used a mission
statement sometime in the previous five
years.

3. Mission Statements
Mission statement answers the question:
“What is our business?”

4. Mission Statements
Mission Statement:
– Enduring statement of purpose
– Distinguishes one organization from
another in similar enterprises
– Declaration of an organization’s “reason for
being”

5. Mission Statements
Mission Statements also referred to as:
– Creed statement
– Statement of purpose
– Statement of philosophy
– Statement of business principles

6. Mission Statements
Mission Statements
– Reveal what an organization wants to be
and whom it wants to serve

7. Mission Statements
Mission Statements
– Essential for effectively establishing
objectives and formulating strategies

8. Vision and Mission
• Many organizations develop both vision
and mission statements
• Profit and vision are necessary to
effectively motivate a workforce
• Shared vision creates a commonality of
interests

9. Developing Vision & Mission
• Clear mission is needed before
alternative strategies can be formulated
and implemented
• Important to have as broad range of
participation as possible among
managers in developing the mission

10. Mission Statements
Mission Statement
“The Bellevue Hospital, with respect,
compassion, integrity, and courage, honors
the individuality and confidentiality of our
patients, employees, and community, and is
progressive in anticipating and providing
future health care services.”

11. The Mission of USGS is to serve the Nation by
providing reliable scientific information to
• Describe and understand the Earth;
• Minimize loss of life and property from natural
disasters;
• Manage water, biological, energy, and mineral
resources; and enhance and protect our quality
of life.
Mission Statements

12. “It is the California Energy Commission’s
mission to assess, advocate, and act
through improve energy systems that
promote a strong economy and a healthy
environment.”
Mission Statements

13. Importance of Mission
• Unanimity of purpose within the organization
• Basis for allocating resources
• Establish organizational climate
• Focal point for direction
• Translate objectives into work structure
• Cost, time and performance parameters
assessed and controlled

14. Mission Characteristics
Effective mission statements:
• Broad in scope
• Generate range of feasible strategic
alternatives
• Not excessively specific
• Reconcile interests among diverse
stakeholders
• Finely balanced between specificity &
generality

15. Effective mission statements:
• Arouse positive feelings and emotions
• Motivate readers to action
• Generate the impression that firm is
successful, has direction, and is worthy of
time, support, and investment
Mission Characteristics

16. Effective mission statements:
• Reflect judgments re: future growth
• Provide criteria for selecting strategies
• Basis for generating & screening strategic
options
• Are dynamic in orientation
Mission Characteristics

17. Customer Orientation
According to Vern McGinnis, mission should:
• Define what the organization is
• Define what the organization aspires to be
• Limited to exclude some ventures
• Broad enough to allow for creative growth
• Distinguish the firm from all others
• Serve as framework to evaluate current
activities
• Stated clearly so that it is understood by all

18. A good mission statement reflects the
anticipations of customers.
• Identify customer needs
• Provide product/service to satisfy needs
AT&T’s mission focuses on communications, not
telephones
Exxon’s mission focuses on energy, not on oil
and gas
Customer Orientation

19. 1. Customers
2. Products or services
3. Markets
4. Technology
5. Survival, growth, and profitability
6. Philosophy
7. Self-concept
8. Concern for public image
9. Concern for employees
Mission Components