How to craft the perfect mission statement
If you’ve scrolled through my website or social media, you’ve probably noticed I place a lot emphasis on mission-aligned design. That’s because everything about your brand from your visual brand identity, your online presence, the services you provide, all the way to how you talk to your clients or customers should be as intentional as possible, always tying back to your overall mission.
Sure that sounds great in theory, but you may be wondering what exactly a mission statement does. After all, it’s just a short, pretty sentence that you get to highlight on the about page of your website, right?
The true purpose of a mission statement is a bit deeper than that. In fact, a well-thought-out mission statement should ultimately answer the question of HOW your business will make an impact in the world or in the lives of your ideal client/customer.
And this is key because defining this “how” gives you and your business a crystal clear foundation to build on and serves as a guiding compass when it comes to the direction you want to head in. In other words, it gives you the opportunity to regularly evaluate if your day-to-day decisions are in alignment with who you are as a brand, which is essential in helping you grow mindfully. It also allows your audience to understand what you stand for so they can quickly gauge if you’re a brand they’d like to support and if you’re the right fit for their needs.
In this blog, I’ll guide you through my simple process of breaking out of the writer’s block that is all too common when it’s time to finally sit down and draft your mission. You’ll walk away with a beautifully crafted mission statement that embodies who you are as a business and gives you the confidence to proudly communicate all of the incredible value you have to offer. Let’s dive in!
My Secret Formula
I understand how daunting it can feel at first to write a mission statement for your business. It’s easy to become overwhelmed or feel paralyzed by the need to perfectly articulate all of the ideas in your head in a way that’s both clear and concise. So I’ve broken it down into a few simple steps to help make things as easy as possible for you as you start to uncover what feels right for your brand.
I also created a worksheet to go along with this blog that you can download where I provide space for you to explore each of the prompts below. As you begin answering the questions, remember that there will be space later on in the worksheet to revise your mission statement, so try to drop the perfectionism (I know… easier said than done), and treat this activity more like a freewriting or brainstorming exercise.
So what’s my secret formula?
WHAT + WHO + WHY + the secret ingredient = Your Mission Statement!
WHAT you do:
Identify who you are and the general services or products you provide for your audience. Try to think about the VALUE you add.
For example, I might say something like: “I’m a graphic design studio that offers branding, web design, and graphic design. I also offer educational resources and business/mindset advice through my blog.”
WHO you do it for:
Who is your target audience? You don’t have to be too specific here in the mission statement, but make it clear from the get go who will benefit from what you have to offer.
“I love working with other motivated entrepreneurs who are passionate about what they do and who are working toward a greater purpose.”
WHY you do it:
Why does your business exist? What is your overarching vision or goal that you hope to achieve?
“I want to help entrepreneurs from ALL backgrounds in their journey toward pursuing their dreams, and I want to help them really connect with and better understand their target audience through the process.”
Identify your brand’s secret ingredient:
The secret ingredient of any mission statement is the HOW. How are you different? What sets you apart from other brands similar to yours? Think about what inspires you to do this work and how you plan to make an impact in the world or meet your objectives. Consider the key values your business wants to communicate with your audience. What’s truly important to you?
“I really take the time to get to know my clients so that I have a deep understanding of their vision and target audience. Everything I do is rooted in intentionality, engagement, deep listening, and sound research with the ultimate goal of empowering my clients to feel confident in how they express themselves! I also want to make my services and resources accessible to people from all walks of life.”
Your Mission Statement
Let’s put it all together...
Based on what you wrote above, go ahead and arrange your responses into a logical order. This is what author Anne Lamott likes to call a “sh*tty first draft,” so don’t hold back or let your perfectionism kick in as an excuse for procrastination (even though that seems to be my own personal specialty). For now, just copy and paste it all into one place so that you can see what you’re working with.
Revise, revise, revise
Now it’s time to make your mission as clear and concise as possible. Try to pair it down to one powerful sentenceーtwo at mostーthat captures the essence of who you are as a brand. You don’t have to (in fact, you shouldn’t) restate every part of the formula exactly. You want it to flow and get to the root of what you do: the HOW. So play around with how you arrange the information and really consider what is essential. Get creative! And feel free to use the examples I’ve collected below as inspiration for how the sentence structure and vocabulary can also mirror your values.
“Nicole Mattson Designs is a branding and web design studio helping entrepreneurs gain the clarity and confidence they need to showcase their value and build authentic connections with their audience.”
Double Check!
Antoine de Saint-Exupery put it well when he said, “a designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” This applies to writing too!
Check to make sure your mission statement does the following:
When read aloud, it’s clear, concise, easy to understand, and flows naturally. If your statement is long, rambly, or full of awkward clauses, try to reorganize and remove some information.
It states who you are and what you do.
It addresses the audience you serve and uses language that they will resonate with.
It introduces your overall goal as a business and why you exist.
There’s just the right amount of your brand’s secret sauce sprinkled in, clearly highlighting how you plan to make an impact. If your mission statement is too vague or could apply to almost anyone, you might need to add some more sauce. (No one wants a bland mission statement!)
More Examples
Here are a few examples of businesses that I think have done a great job crafting a mission statement that communicates their values and who they are as a brand. (I even included an example of a well-known brand that uses a pun… can you spot it?)
It’s a great idea to look around and gather inspiration from other organizations, but make sure you aren’t accidentally copying the language or style of another brand. Your mission statement should be true to who you are!
Starbucks
“To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time”
REI
“At Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) we believe a life outdoors is a life well-lived. We believe that it’s in the wild, untamed and natural places that we find our best selves, so our purpose is to awaken a lifelong love of the outdoors, for all.”
charity: water
“charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.”
Nike
“Bring Inspiration and Innovation to every athlete in the world.”
Asana
“Asana’s mission is to help humanity thrive by enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly.”
Warby Parker
“To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”
Prezi
“To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.”
Invisible Children
“To end violence and exploitation facing our world’s most isolated and vulnerable communities.”
Tesla
“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
I want to acknowledge just how intimidating and at times frustrating it can be to pin down the messaging for your branding. There’s something about trying to articulate “who you are” that strikes fear in the hearts of even the most eloquent writers. But it’s important to remember that this is a constantly evolving process. It’s okay if your mission statement shifts over time as your focus, audience, goals, or values do. Taking that first step of honing in on what matters to you and what it is you want to communicate with your audience is what really counts at the end of the day.
I’m always on the lookout for more inspiration, and I’d love to hear what all of you come up with as you explore this exercise, so please feel free to share your mission statements below in the comments section!
