WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN? - Start-up Management by Glen Wakeman

Start-up Management and Start-up Leadership

The objective of the mission statement is to provide your company with a sense of purpose. If vision articulates what you want to be, a mission statement answers the question why. It is the foundation for the values you would like to embed in your company. Think of your mission as your duty, your obligation, your goal. Write it down and challenge it:

What does it say to your employees, customers and investors? They will be your audience and will either enable or disable your mission. If your mission resonates with your stakeholders, you have a great chance of achieving it. If it doesn’t, expect your company to flounder and perish.

What standards does it create for your leadership? Mission statements often set the tone for an organization as values are derived from mission statements. Values quickly get translated into behaviors. And behaviors, ultimately, become the company.

Are you proud of it? This is the simplest but most important test. If you have a chance to write your legacy, make sure you would be satisfied with it as an epitaph.