NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- For years, businesses have been told there are three statements essential for gaining employee and stakeholder engagement, and creating investor awareness: The mission statement, the vision statement and the values statement. Usually these statements end up taking too long to create, are too confusing and fail to deliver a memorable meaning. They end up being just words of little worth.
I'd like to leverage my years of experience working with businesses and nonprofits -- of all sizes and in various stages of development -- to offer a few simple guideposts to developing these three statements. We'll make them more than pretty words for an annual report, advertising campaign or employee handbook insert.
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To start, these statements are usually just too darn long. To this end, I'd like to suggest answers to the two functional questions for each statement: What does the statement contain? and Why do we need it?
Mission Statement: Answers why we exist.
What does the statement contain?
This should talk about the problem we solve, the issues/concerns we address, and who benefits (customer), and perhaps geography (U.S., international, etc.) or condition (growth companies, people in need, etc.).
Why do we need it?
It offers a basis for the enterprise's relevancy and reason to exist (or continue to exist).
Vision Statement: Answers what we want to become.
What does the statement contain?
This is a future-oriented "statement of possibility." It explores how the customer will be better off with your company, and how the company will be recognized if it is successful.
Why do we need it?
This gives us something to always be striving for in order to better ourselves and ensure our relevancy and reputation.
