Mission & Vision Statement Template
[Insert YOUR Mission Statement Here]
A mission is an expression, made by its leaders, of their desires and intent for the organization. The purpose of a mission statement is to communicate the organizations purpose and direction to its employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders.
A good mission statement is short, to the point and memorable. It’s like a tagline in advertising, something that sticks with a person when they hear or read it. In a true sense, the mission statement is an ad in that it identifies your company as one that a customer would want to work with or support. A mission statement is (in some ways) an action-oriented vision statement, declaring the purpose an organization serves to its audience.
Examples:
Life is Good: To spread the power of optimism.
Sweetgreen: To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.
Patagonia: We're in business to save our home planet.
JetBlue: To inspire humanity – both in the air and on the ground.
Workday: To put people at the center of enterprise software.
Prezi: To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.
[Insert YOUR Vision Statement Here]
A Vision Statement describes the desired future position of the company. The vision statement is intended as a guide to help the organization make decisions that align with its philosophy and declared goals. It can be thought of as a roadmap to where the company wants to be within a certain timeframe. It sets a broader strategic plan for the organization. For context a vision statement looks towards the future, but a mission statement talks about what the company is doing in the present.
Examples:
IKEA
“Our vision is to create a better everyday life for many people.” That’s aspirational, short and to the point. More than that, it sets the tone for the company and makes it clear that they’re in the market to offer low-priced good furnishings that suit everyone’s lifestyle.
Nike
“Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. (*If you have a body, you are an athlete.)” Nobody cared much for sneakers in the past. They were just another piece of sports equipment. But Nike saw a future that had not yet existed, in which they delivered products that inspired and motivated people. Notice how they include everyone as an athlete. It’s clever and inclusive.
McDonald’s
“To be the best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile.” The power of this vision is that it’s constructed like a checklist. The word best is a word that requires definition, and McDonald’s provides it with qualifiers, making the roadmap to success clearly marked with signposts.
Oxfam
“A world without poverty.” This may seem to contradict one of the traits of a good vision statement in that it feels unrealistic. But as challenging visions go, it’s hard to see how anyone wouldn’t be inspired and motivated by this short and powerful one.