Q. Our company has decided it’s time to take a fresh look at who we are and where we’re going, and each department has been asked to prepare what we think should be our company’s mission statement. Other than writing some “puff” statements, we don’t know where to begin. How do we do it.? —Francis T.

A. Lewis Caroll summarized the importance of mission statements well through the words of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, "If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter which way you go." So the first thing you need to look at is where your company is going—what it’s trying to accomplish.

Organization Development specialist Ron Meshanko (Ecumenical Resource Consultants, Inc.,Washington DC) begins each board-training session with a question, “What is your mission statement?” Ninety-nine percent of the time, not one person—sometimes even the executive director—can write down in clear, succinct language the mission statement of the organization. He and other experts advise:

An organization’s mission statement should say, in simple, clear statements:

what it is, what it does, for whom, what you believe in, and where you’re going.

Meshanko says that failure to clearly state and communicate an organization's mission can have harmful consequences, including:

• Organization members can waste time "barking up the wrong tree"

• The organization may not think broadly enough about different possibilities if its

mission statement is unclear or overly narrow

• The organization may not realize when it’s time to go out of business—or go into a

new one

Purpose. (What? For Whom? Why?)

Here are some ideas that will help you define the “what” of your organization: The purpose statement clearly says what your organization wants to accomplish: Why does your organization exist? What is the ultimate result of your work? Purpose statements usually include key elements:

• A phrase that indicates a change in status, such as: to build… to create… to

develop…to increase…to decrease…to prevent…to eliminate…

• An identification of the problem, need or condition to be addressed.

• A clear statement of what makes your organization unique, and who benefits from

your products or services.

Organization Development Specialist Carter McNamara, Ph. D (Support Center, San Francisco) suggests:

• Consider your organization's products, services, markets, values, and concern for

public image, and maybe your priorities of activities needed to survive.

• Include suggested strategies that evolved from recent strategic planning sessions.

• Make sure that the wording shows managers and employees the priorities in

carrying out your purpose.

• Confirm that the statement clearly separates the mission of the organization from

other organizations.

Vision: Where You’re Going.

Your mission statement should reflect your organization’s vision, (where you’re going, and why). It should vividly describe the organization as it carries out its operations effectively. The vision can serve as a motivational tool to give management and employees enthusiasm for moving in a specific direction: “Within five years, we will be the leader in medical products for hospitals.”

Values: What You Believe In

Values represent the core principles in an organization’s culture, including what drives manager and employee priorities, and how they are expected to act in the organization. A simple expression of your company’s values should be included in the mission statement.

Consider the values of customers, shareholders, employees and the community in which you work. Values are beliefs that your organization's members hold in common and try to put into practice. The values guide your organization's members in performing their work.

Specifically, you should ask, "What are the basic beliefs that we share as an organization?"

Examples of values include: a commitment to excellent services, innovation, diversity, creativity, honesty and integrity. A word of caution: resist the temptation to include these “motherhood-and-apple-pie” values because you’d like to have them. For example, an organization that says it values diversity, but has few or no minorities, women or culturally diverse people in leadership positions is an easy target for cynicism within the company— and accusations of hypocrisy outside it. Values may include your beliefs such as: "Eating vegetables is more economically efficient and ecologically responsible than eating beef." (Vegetarian Association)

Here’s an example of a mission statement that includes all the elements:

EntertainmentPlus, will be a leader in video and movie production, (what). We will focus on traditional principles, (belief) to bring popular, family-centered entertainment (what) to movie and television viewers (for whom). This will develop a spirit of fun, closeness, and integrity in viewers’ homes (where you’re going) while delivering significant value to shareholders (why).

There is no perfect formula for finding the wording that best expresses the collective mission of your organization. What’s important is that there is consensus on the wording, and solid commitment to make it happen.