Mission (Not Impossible) Statements

I’m working on mission statements for a client today and it has me
thinking about how we summarize our company’s mission. Can you state
why your company exists in just one sentence? The best mission
statements are short, clear and powerful. Nelson Mandela’s is “End
Apartheid.” Abraham Lincoln’s was “Preserve the Union.”

A great
mission statement has a certain energy to it – it draws you in and
makes you almost want to be a part of what the company is trying to do.
I can say I sit at a desk and write about PR, but that doesn’t exactly
fire anyone up. But if I focus on the outcome of what I do, I might say
something like “my mission is to empower entrepreneurs to share their
companies’ stories with power and grace.” Better.

If your mission
statement is too lengthy to be memorable, or if you don’t have a
mission statement, consider scheduling some time to play around with
it. When you hit the right combination of words that makes you feel
excited, you’re on to something.

Barbara Wayman, president of
BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, an
award-winning ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the
power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription
today at http://www.bluetreemedia.com/ezine.html and see what BlueTree Media can do for you and your business.

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