What Is a Mission Statement? An Overview

A mission statement provides a concrete, action-oriented description of what a company or organization will do and why. It communicates the company's purpose to stakeholders, including investors, customers, and employees.

A corporate mission statement describes the organizational purpose, while a start-up may use it to convert entrepreneurs’ big ideas and dreams into action. Writing a mission statement can also drive the development of a positive workplace culture, improve employee engagement, boost productivity, and build trust within the community. 

Get a clear definition of a mission statement. Find out how businesses use it and what it includes.  Then, explore some examples.

What is a mission statement?

Part corporate strategy and part guiding principles, a mission statement conveys your business’s purpose and how it will achieve its goals. This simple statement tells people about your reason for being, helps motivate your staff, and informs your internal and external stakeholders. 

You can capture a lot in a mission statement. A well-crafted mission statement educates people about your organization’s how and why while inspiring those who read it. 

A mission statement relates closely to the vision statement, which succinctly states your objectives.

What is the purpose of a mission statement?

A mission statement serves many purposes, including defining corporate strategy and motivating everyone involved. You want business employees to internalize the mission statement to help everyone work together to achieve the same objectives while keeping your core values in mind.

Telling your potential customers, investors, and industry why your business exists can further build your brand and help you stand out. Many businesses publish their mission statement on company letterhead, annual reports, and websites. Doing so allows the company to leverage the information to inspire positive feelings and focus employee efforts.

Read more: Business Plan: What It Is + How to Write One

The mission and vision  statements—a comparison

A vision statement describes what you want to accomplish, while a mission statement outlines how you will do it. Before creating a mission statement, it's essential to understand the differences and relationships between your mission and vision. 

Typically, you start with a vision statement. It describes what you want to accomplish, and you can think of it as a static foundation. The mission statement builds on this and outlines your plan to achieve your vision, making it a more dynamic statement. Still, treating both as fluid ideas that can evolve as your business does is wise.

For example, Patagonia’s mission statement up until 2018 read: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” Yet in late 2018, the company did a bold rewrite: “Patagonia is in business to save our home planet [1].”

Aim for simplicity and clarity so anyone will readily understand your vision and mission. Both capture your essence and should be concise, focused on the desired outcomes, and offer inclusivity to inspire the community to join in where appropriate. Working to make these memorable can also help you achieve your goals of educating and inspiring stakeholders with these statements.

Your business values inspire both statements. After all, your core values define your guiding principles and shape how you will proceed. 

Essential elements of a mission statement

You may wonder how just one statement can help fulfill your organization’s purpose, but you can do a lot with your mission statement. A mission statement captures the “who” of your business and “what” you value. It communicates your reason for being and “how” you serve your key stakeholders. 

Consider employees, customers, donors, investors, and your community while crafting your mission statement. You want this simple, focused statement to resonate with all these parties.

What to avoid when crafting a mission statement

Think of your mission statement as a high-level statement. Focus on the big picture rather than including metrics, specific business goals, or strategies. Too much detail can alienate your audience. 

Keep things simple and avoid using “fancy” multi-syllabic words when simple ones will do. Relying on buzzwords or jargon can put off your audience, and this language won't help your mission statement stand the test of time. 

Keep your statement brief and focused. While many mission statements consist of one sentence, others are short paragraphs. 

Lastly, don’t rely on your perspective alone. Once you’ve drafted your mission statement, share it with others, get feedback, and revise it as necessary. 

Pros and cons of a mission statement 

A mission statement has advantages and disadvantages. Consider these before crafting your business’s mission statement.

Pros

A mission statement benefits your business by outlining goals, helping focus your decisions, and keeping you on track for the future. This statement can help clarify your purpose while guiding and motivating employees. Crafting a mission statement also offers credibility in that you’ve taken the time to consider significant goals and how you’ll reach them.

Cons

At the same time, a mission may not resonate with employees or other stakeholders. That single sentiment may read vague or unrealistic. You may also invest a lot of time and money in creating your perfect mission statement when you could spend that time doing something else that benefits your business.

Mission statement examples 

To give you an idea of effective mission statements, consider some examples from a few of the top Fortune 500 companies in 2024:

• Microsoft: “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more [2 ].”

• GE: “Empowering the next generation [3 ].”

• Amazon: “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Earth's best employer, and Earth's safest place to work [4 ].”

• Goldman Sachs: “We aspire to be the world’s most exceptional financial institution, united by our shared values of partnership, client service, integrity, and excellence [5 ].”

• Johnson & Johnson: “At Johnson and Johnson, we believe health is everything [6 ].”

Next steps

Your mission statement informs your employees, stakeholders, clients or customers, and the general public about your company's purpose and goals. 

Now that you understand the importance of a mission statement and how to use one, you may want to learn more about entrepreneurship or branding. Join Michigan State University faculty in on Coursera. It’s part of the How to Start Your Own Business Specialization, designed to walk you through the process of starting a business.

Otherwise, you might take from Wharton’s School of Business on Coursera or learn about brand management by taking Brand and Product Management, offered by IE University.