How to Develop a Target Mission Statement

A target mission statement can help define the goals and values of your company. A well thought out statement provides insights into what a company does, how it functions, and the reason behind it. The statement exists to zero in on the purpose of a business and why it exists in the first place. This statement targets what is important to the company and helps guide the decisions and activities of the organization. The process to develop a strong target mission involves evaluating the company as a whole and answering some basic questions. In this article, we will outline the steps on how to craft an ideal mission statement that perfectly encapsulates the core of your company.

writing a mission statement

What is the Point of a Target Mission Statement?

The purpose of this statement is to clearly communicate to both other businesses and consumers what your organization is about. It is a broad message that can both define goals and be flexible enough to keep up with the times. Still, the mission statement maintains itself through consistency in work and services produced. Especially in the early days of the business, a mission statement establishes a framework for employees to expand upon. A company’s statement can give consumers an idea of what they stand for and how it aligns with their own values. It provides a broad view of what a company values and its goals for the future.

What Questions Does the Target Mission Statement Answer?

The mission statement of a company should not be overly complicated and answer a few simple questions. It should speak to the fundamental basis of the organization and the reason for its existence. The questions it should answer are:

  1. Whom does the organization serve?
  2. What does the organization do?
  3. Why does the organization do this?
  4. How does the organization fulfill this?

These questions help guide your company’s target mission statement because they get to the root of what your organization is about. The answers to these questions help ensure, maintain, and clarify your company’s goals to stay on track.

how to write a mission statement

Key Components of a Target Mission Statement 

A comprehensive target mission statement will consist of the necessary elements that help explain the company as a whole. The first component is what value the business provides and the purpose of this is to demonstrate this to customers and employees.

Another important piece of information to include in this statement is inspiration. Explain why people should want to work at your company and how it stands out. Even though inspiration is an important aspect, you want to keep your statement grounded and realistic. While the statement should be aspirational, it should also be plausible with goals that are achievable.

You do not want this statement to be generic and applicable to any business, so you should curate it to be specific to your organization. The mission statement should help your organization stand out from competitors so it should focus on what differentiates your business from competitors.

These qualities will help you write a mission statement that speaks to your audience and provides key information to your employees as well as speaks to the company’s values.

When Should a Mission Statement Be Developed? 

Since a mission statement outlines the purpose of a company, ideally it should be developed in the beginning of the formation of the business. The reason for this early development is to help lead the way for important decisions and actions. If you create your mission statement too late, then it is not as useful of a tool for your company.

How to Write a Mission Statement 

Step 1: Team Formation Plus Planning and Research

The beginning of the process involves creating a team and establishing leadership. The planning team consists of the board of directors, senior managers, and other staff. Once this team is created, organize a meeting to discuss ideas about what best fits the business,

At this point, you can gather information on your company’s clients, products, services, and history to best curate an accurate and appropriate mission statement. During this time, it would be a good idea to try and answer the four questions from above that help describe the company.

what is a mission statement

Step 2: Figure Out Whom the Company Serves

This step is about defining the core basis of your organization and who will find this message useful. Essentially, it involves finding out who uses and benefits from the goods and services provided by the business. It also involves discovering the qualities of the target demographic or market to better serve their needs. It is also important to establish where the target market is located geographically.

Step 3: Clearly Define What the Business Does

It will be difficult to write an effective target mission statement if it is not clear on what the organization does. So by this step, it is useful to narrow in on the purpose of the company and what it does or seeks to do. In doing this, you will answer questions on what kind of goods or services the business produces. It is also important to try and figure out the needs and wants of consumers and beneficiaries. When clients feel understood, they are more likely to keep purchasing products from a company. After this, the team can evaluate how well the company is meeting the needs and wants of its users and go from there.

Step 4: Explain the Reason Why the Company Does What it Does

This part of the process generally sounds like the answer to an abstract or wide social problem. It is also the basis for future actions of the company and how to proceed. The why behind a company helps make your target mission more specific and differentiates yourself from other companies.

Step 5: Create the Mission Statement

After you have researched and formulated the who, what, and why behind your organization – it is time to write your mission statement. This process will involve a smaller team of good writers focused on curating a message that makes your business stand out from others. The mission statement should be brief with only one or two sentences so it can be memorable and recognizable. Remember that this statement works as the foundation for company progression and works to help the people it serves.

target mission statement

Quick Tips to Write a Target Mission Statement

While the mission statement you create is dependent on your business and varies according to preference, there are some agreed upon practices to take into consideration.

Keep Length in Mind

A good mission statement should not be extraordinarily lengthy. It is best to keep your message short and poignant. No one will stay to read a long-winded statement because it is too much to pay attention to. Also, if it is too long then the target message gets muddled and lost in the mix. It is hard to have a clear, consistent message if the statement keeps going on and on. It will be difficult for customers and employees to remember what your statement is about if there is a large amount of content. Shorter messages are more memorable and people can recall them more easily.

Think About the Future

An effective target mission statement should think towards the future and demonstrate your company’s goals in the long term. A good mission statement will really focus on the why, which differentiates itself from a vision statement. While it is important to focus on the work your business is doing in the present, you want to expand upon that so your company has the option to grow. Speaking of company growth, you want to make sure that your statement is not too limiting and does not put your business in a box. So you want to allow room for expansion, whether it be products or geographic location.

what is a target mission statement

Get Employee Feedback

It is a good idea to find out what your employees think of your company’s mission statement. The mission statement is a crucial part of how your employees understand the actions and progression of your company so it is important to see how they view it. Part of the reason the target mission statement is developed is to help employees be aware of what the company stands for and where it wants to go. Since they know the ins and outs of the business, employees are a great tool to get suggestions on improvements and what else needs to be fixed in the statement.

Allow For Change

Another important aspect of the target mission statement is to leave it flexible and allow room for change. In the business world, things are constantly evolving. It is helpful to leave room for that change, giving it some breathing room. With social media, trends are changing rapidly so a change in your statement can assist with growing your company. Even if you do not make the statement flexible and there seems to be a need for change, then do just that. It is not useful for your company to have an outdated mission statement that no longer represents the current values or future goals of the organization. Think of it as a vision statement that reflects your

Include Target Company Values

Whatever your brand’s core values are, be sure to include them in your target vision statement. Or, choose one outstanding value to focus on. For example, perhaps you have made a brand promise to work on promoting environmental sustainability. Or, maybe you are committed to offering reasonable prices, great value, community engagement, or embracing diversity. Whatever your mission and vision are, make sure to include your values – and how they deliver results or have a positive impact on your customers and community.

Work With SEO Design Chicago

If you need assistance crafting a vision statement or any other content for your brand, partner with SEO Design Chicago. Our focus is on delivering outstanding content for businesses. We can help you come up with various business strategies to help you grow. Our company focuses on digital marketing for various types of businesses. Contact us today!

FAQ:

  • What is a mission statement?
  • Where should I start when writing a target mission statement?
  • Why are target mission statements important?
  • What are the primary factors of a mission statement?
  • Should a target mission statement be short?

Contact Us Today!


Call Now