One of the things I love most about sharing the Passion Test for Business with companies and non-profit boards is helping them see how every individual in the company can align their personal passions with the company mission statement. This is easily done when the mission statement genuinely reflects the heart of the leadership. Below is a list of required elements for a good mission statement developed by John DeMartini. Compare this list with your own mission statement – or use it to craft yours TODAY!
• The mission statement needs to be refined and reviewed so everybody in the company is aligned to it.
• A mission statement is not meant to be an idealistic, intellectual statement designed to sound good in public. One of the most important things in building a business is a clear vision and certainty: the statement of purpose or mission of what you want to create. A mission statement is a statement from the core of the individual leader’s heart on what they are inspired to do.
• A good mission statement essentially demands the soul and spirit of the leader. In order to be a good leader you must have vision, inspiration and purpose which leads to vitality, intensity and power.
• The mission statement of a company is the inner most thoughts of the leader and it speaks to their core values.
• The inspiration of the company is directly proportionate to how vivid the vision and the statement is of what you would like to do.
• A leader must be appreciative of the opportunity they have to share the product service or idea of the company.
• A successful company is one where the following is reflected on the staff; gratitude, vision and enthusiasm. The staff must be grateful to be at work and plan for it every morning, there must be a vision they can articulate without outside help and they must be enthusiastic – this is seen in the vibe of the workplace.
• Most people think terrestrially and look out celestially; like you have the world in your hands and imagine going from a greater sphere and look inwards.
• The masses of people wait to see things before they believe; the master believes things before they see it.
• You cannot coerce people into working – you have to inspire them to work. An inspiring mission statement assists employees to know what they are working towards and aids productivity.
Need help crafting a mission statement that reflects your heart and vision for your company? Talk out loud to a trusted friend or colleague and record the key
points that come up when you answer the question “What do I want my company to be known for? What impact do I want to have?” Be as audacious as you want in this conversation – you are just brainstorming. Then take what you recorded and begin to mine the gems that represent the heart of your company.
Do you like your mission statement? Post a link here – I’d love to see yours!!
Building Better Beliefs 
I used to like my mission statement, but by following your guidelines, I’m going to love it. Basically, I love helping people in my own little way. I guess I can develop a personal mission statement from this. Really informative.
Hi Lisa. Great post. These were some great tips on being very conscious in the creation of your business and mission statement. I appreciated the constant reference of the heart, spirit and soul of the leader of the business. I think it’s so important to operate that way. It ensures that you are truly fulfilling your purpose and working authentically. I also liked the idea of the employees being aligned and enthusiastic as well. It reminds me of Oprah saying when you are doing something big in the world, make sure you surround yourself with people who are aligned with the vision of service. These are excellent principles to operate a business by. Thanks for sharing.
An empowering post indeed. I’ve shared some of the above with my clients in various programs such as the idea of core values influencing your mission statement, however, there is always something you can glean from another’s wisdom. I did gather some gold nuggets from this post. Thanks for sharing. Robin aka “The Empowerment Diva”
You’re right, Lisa, a mission statement that reflects who you are and what you want is crucial. We were able to set short term objectives – writing articles, columns, newsletters, a blog – that are moving us toward our long term goal – writing a book.
Hi Lisa,
I really enjoyed your post. I would love to visit your blog regularly.
Thanks,
Rajni
Thrilled to have you as a new subscriber Rajni! Would love to get your feedback and comments on posts!
Great advice on creating mission statements. We are in the process of writing our company’s statement, and it isn’t easy… I think many companies think too much about the external readers of the statement instead of focusing internally on the company / employees as you have pointed out.
I agree with you Karen. A Mission Statement really shouldn’t be PR driven, but an expression of the heart of the company. Once it captures the heart and vision of the company, it will appeal authentically. Thanks for your comment!!