One of the most important aspects of a business is its mission statement. If a company has no direction, it's like sailing aimlessly with no destination in sight. Without a clear-cut mission statement, there are only vague ideas floating around in the head of the company and employees. A mission statement can make or break a company. It is usually the first thing that new employees are given when they join the company.
A mission statement will need to be communicated often to all levels of the company and the staff. It is something that employees need to understand and relate to. Without it, the employees will be like specks in a sea of confusion. A mission statement is like a road map for the organization. Each employee should know it and know how it relates to the job he is currently doing.
It should also be interesting to read. A mission statement that doesn't have much meaning in one day may mean nothing to the following day. The importance lies in keeping it updated. A company should always be striving to be relevant and fresh.
The mission statement should not be too short or too long. It needs to be able to be understood easily by most people. In fact, a mission statement that is too short actually ends up being meaningless. It is supposed to be a statement that gives the company some direction and goals. Having a mission statement that is too long is like not having a company at all.
The characteristics of a mission statement are indeed important. It needs to be clear and concise. There should also be a purpose behind it. A company can become stale with having a mission statement that is vague and general. A company should always strive to be fresh and relevant. Creating a mission statement is not difficult at all, but creating one that is effective and makes sense is a bit more complicated.
To make a mission statement effective, a company should try to include some details. There are actually a number of elements involved here. One of these is the target market. Knowing the target market is important so that a company can provide information to its readers without having to make assumptions or arrive at conclusions from a limited set of data. This will help in the creation of a mission statement that is not merely generic, but rather one that is aimed specifically at the needs and expectations of the company's target audience.
Another characteristic is relevance. A mission statement has to be relevant to the company and what it is trying to accomplish. It is not sufficient to simply tell readers about the company. They need to be aware of the things that the company is doing so they can understand its direction and mission. There is no sense in including activities or services that are not directly related to the core business of the company.