Deseret News Archives,
Sunday, April 14, 2002

Edition: All
Section: Money
Page: M01
Length: 69 lines

Mission plan vital to firm's growth

Key employee recruits want to know why the company exists as part of their interview process. Clubs, associations, teams, businesses, church groups and families develop statements of purpose. We attend workshops where we are taught to develop individual mission statements. A written document outlining direction, purpose and meaning has become part of our world.

Writing a company mission statement need not be an overwhelming experience. Let me suggest a process that you can follow in developing a meaningful statement.

1. Commit to make the mission statement part of the company. Do not go through the exercise if you are not convinced that it will make a difference and that you will use it both internally with employees and externally with customers, suppliers and others. I have seen mission statements used on company letterhead, in advertising campaigns, on banners hung in company offices and manufacturing facilities, and as part of company incentive programs.

2. Develop a form to collect the best thinking of your associates. The form should include the following questions as a guide, and it should have plenty of space for responses:

What do we want to become as an organization? What is our purpose?

Why do we want to achieve this purpose?

How can we accomplish this mission?

How will we measure our success?

3. Involve your associates. Buy-in and support of the company's mission is often directly related to the amount of employee participation during the creation phase. I have seen two methods work in involving others. For a smaller firm, ask all of the employees to participate in the initial response to the questions and drafting of the statement. In larger firms, have the management team develop a draft and then ask all employees for feedback.

4. Summarize the input and develop a concise statement that is meaningful. This is the most difficult step. Your final product can be just a few words and should not exceed a few sentences. Effectiveness declines as the statement increases in size. (Warning: Every word is important. Don't be surprised if you take a few hours laboring over words and phrasing.)

5. Publish it. Give everyone a copy. Talk about it. Make it part of the company's annual plan.

6. Review the statement occasionally. Do not be afraid to make adjustments if needed. Some companies have a scheduled review every second or third year. Markets and products change, competition alters the landscape and the chemistry of a company changes as employees come and go.

As an avid road biker, I am amazed at the team that supports Lance Armstrong in his Tour de France efforts. Eight or nine riders share a common mission: to win the three-week, 2,000-plus-mile event. Each member is willing to sacrifice so that Armstrong is in a position to capture the title. Without the mission statement to hold the team together, three consecutive championships would have been impossible. According to Armstrong, "Every member of our team was as committed to the Tour as I was."

Self-sacrifice, working toward a common goal and sharing in the thrill of accomplishment are all aspects of what an effective mission statement will do for your company.

Gary Williams is associated with the BYU Center for Entrepreneurship. He can be reached via e-mail at cfe@byu.edu.

© 2001 Deseret News Publishing Co.