Mission Statements

For this activity, students will be in small groups

Students will come up with a business that will be used to create a mission statement. For example, a non$-$profit organization A non$-$profit organization that recycles landfill clothing into cushioning for beds, sofas, pillows. With your business, follow the steps to create your mission statement:

$1.$ Answer foundational questions

To figure out what your mission statement should say, you'll need to answer foundational questions about your business.

$$ What do we do$?$

$$ What do we create?

$$ Who is our audience?

$$ How do we make a difference?

Once you've answered the basics, consider questions that can help you create a strong mission statement.

$$ How do we differ from others in the industry?

$$ How can we make our mission statement stand out from others?

$$ Can we use other mission statements for inspiration?

Your mission statement should be everlasting, so think about it in a way that incorporates business growth. It's important to consider what your company's purpose is in the context of what your future might be$.$

$2.$ Use your answers to brainstorm

Now that you have the ideas for your mission statement, you need the right words. Use brainstorming techniques to help you and the other leaders at your company come with creative ways to express yourselves.

Some helpful brainstorming techniques include:

Mind$-$mapping: Mind mapping is a visual brainstorming technique you can use with your group. Start with one word or idea and use it to inspire other ideas. You'll need a large piece of paper or whiteboard to write down a topic. Then, draw lines connecting tangential words or ideas to it$.$ This can also be done remotely using a Google Doc.

$3.$ Write your first draft

Now that you have solid ideas about what to put in your mission statement and creative ways to express those ideas, you can start experimenting with what sounds best. The following formulas can help you get started:

A$.$ To $[$contribution$/$goal$]$ so $[$impact$].$

B$.$ Our mission is to $[$contribution$/$goal$]$ by $[$what you offer$/$how you do it$]$ for $[$target audience$]$ so $[$impact$].$

C$.$ To build$/$offer $[$what you offer$/$how you do it$]$ for $[$target audience$]$ to $[$contribution$/$goal$]$ and $[$impact$].$

For example, if you work for a content marketing company, here's how your first draft might look:

A$.$ To increase the value and visibility of content so companies can build strong relationships with their audiences.

B$.$ Our mission is to increase the value and visibility of content by offering content marketing services for companies so they can build strong relationships with their audiences.

C$.$ To offer content marketing services for companies to increase the value and visibility of their content and help them build strong relationships with their audiences.

$4.$ Revise and share

After discussing with your group members, revise your mission statement as needed. Finalize your mission statement.

$$ Once groups have completed the activity, each group will share their mission statement and business name with the class.

$$ The class should be able to determine what the business does, create, the audience and how the business makes a difference by reading the mission statement. Ask the class if they can identify these items to see how well your mission statement represents your company.

$$ Once each group has presented, this activity is complete.