What’s your mission statement? Or maybe you’ve heard it called vision statement, purpose, passion, core focus, hedgehog, the zone, Bhag, or others. In the Marines, it is a very defined statement using doctrinally defined terms to assign a task to an organization with the 5 Ws, plus how. So, the Marines roll purpose into the mission statement.
Language and doctrine are not standard across all businesses. So, there is some personal preference here, but your Mission is a focused statement of what your company does. Don’t make this too hard, but make sure it defines precisely and succinctly what your organization does. It will take some time to dial it in.
Your mission statement should be clear to everyone in the organization and should be a litmus test for every action, every task, and client. Big ideas and shiny objects should be tested against the mission statement. IF they don’t contribute directly, stop doing them or don’t start.
The purpose is your reason. It is the motivation for your Mission. Mine is “to build leaders of consequence for our Nation’s churches, families, businesses, and communities.” It’s not money, it’s bigger! It’s the “why” of your organization or business. So, with your values, you know who you are; your vision tells you where you are going; your Mission says how you will get there, and your purpose is your motivation.
So, if you have values, vision, Mission, and purpose, and they make sense, think about your role and what those statements mean to your work. If not, it’s time to get to work on them because it will make a difference in your bottom line.