Leadership Articles

How to Write a Mission Statement

On this page you will find links and description of websites that can greatly aid you in discovering a mission statement for your business, club, organization--and even for yourself!

Websites with Description

1. Angier, Dawn. "How To Write a Mission Statement". Success Strategies.
   http://www.successnet.org/articles/mission130.htm
   (28 September 2000).

   Original source is from Bain & Company, 1994. The article is very comprehensive and provides a lot of ideas for the user. Covers both organizational and personal mission statements. Includes examples, research stats. and sample questions. The web site is a very reputable business development site. they publish 2 magazines, Success Strategies and Success Digest. Site includes many archived articles. The website and information is certified by the Better Internet Bureau. 

2. Caine, Dr. Bruce T. "A Few Questions to Help you Create your Mission". May 1999.
   http://www.vanderbilt.edu/sos/missionstatements.htm
   (28 September 2000).

   This article covers some basic questions and ideas in developing a mission statement. The website as a whole is very good and covers many aspects of developing an organization. It is mainly geared towards student organizations. It is maintained by an organizational development student organization at Vanderbilt University. Site is about a year old. 

3. Campbell, Mary. "Your Mission Is Clear" Small Business Builder. 12 May 1999
   http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/SmallBiz/sbb990512.html
   (28 September 2000).

   Mary Campbell writes and edits for The University of Arizona College of Business and Public Administration and for dozens of entrepreneurs, publishers, and authors. She is editor of the midsize-business journal The FINOVA Quarterly. The website is directed by ABC News. This article is a fairly recent archive. It covers basic information concerning the fundamentals of a mission statement. 

4. Eng, Sherri. "eHow to Write a Mission Statement".
   http://www.ehow.com/eHow/eHow/0,1053,7485,FF.html
   (28 September 2000).

   Includes basic points of a good mission statement. Site provides basic "how-to" ideas for many, many subjects. Includes a way for user feedback and comment. Sherri Eng is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist who has more than seven years of experience writing for major metropolitan daily newspapers, magazines and web sites. In a past life, she has covered small business, careers and banking for the San Jose Mercury News for six years. 

5. Foxx, Jeff. "A Shared Vision". Business Leader. September 1996.
   http://www.rtpnc.com/blsep96/shared.html (28 September 2000).

   Older article. Has a very descriptive introductory story that illustrates the importance of a mission statement. Not much help in the actual writing of a mission statement. Jeff Foxx is an editorial intern for Business Leader. Business Leader publishes 5 journals and is a major source of business research and review for North Carolina. It is kept up-to-date daily. 

6. Hutton, Stan. "How to Write a Mission Statement". Nonprofit Charitable Orgs.
   http://nonprofit.about.com/careers/nonprofit/library/howto/htmiss.htm
   (28 September 2000).

   Website is a "how-to" site covering many topics. Article includes quick tips and how to write a mission statement. Has good links to other articles. Stan Hutton, a nonprofit management professional, works as a program consultant for the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation and as contracts manager for the San Francisco Study Center. 

7. Logan, Robert E. and Ogne, Steven L. "How to Write a Mission Statement". CompuCoach. March 1998
   http://www.churchsmart.com/compucoach/00208.htm
   (28 September 2000).

   This is a brief excerpt of 6 points of a religious based mission statement. It is a summary from a book by the same authors entitled The Church Planter's Toolkit, Chap. 3. Worksheet page 3-19 "Developing Your Mission Statement". 

8. Lowrance, Tracey. "Customer Service Mission Statement: The Key to Fulfilling Customer Needs". Digital Women. 1998
   http://www.digital-women.com/howto11a.htm
   (28 September 2000).

   This article is a brief overview of the importance of a mission statement as it relates to customer service. Provides some good examples of major corporations. It is a couple years old. The website is geared toward the female business perspective. 

9. McRae, Barbara. "The Top 10 Keys To Crafting a Compelling Mission Statement". Success Strategies.
   http://www.successnet.org/topten/TTMission.htm
   (28 September 2000).

   Barbara McRae is a Master Certified Coach, nationally known speaker, newspaper columnist and founder of EnhancedLife Coaching™. Barbara is a licensed facilitator on creating your personal and corporate mission statements. The web site is a very reputable business development site. they publish 2 magazines, Success Strategies and Success Digest. Site includes many archived articles. The website and information is certified by the Better Internet Bureau. 

10. Radtke, Janel M. "How to Write a Mission Statement". The Grantsmanship Center Magazine. Fall 1998.
    http://www.tgci.com/publications/98fall/MissionStatement.html
    (28 September 2000).

    This is an excellent site that is clear, to the point and comprehensive. It provides good guidelines for writing a mission statement and then analyzes some actual mission statements based on the criteria given. The Grantsmanship Center Magazine is a very reputable business magazine. 

11. Reh, F. John. "How to Draft a Mission Statement". Management.
    http://management.about.com/smallbusiness/management/library/howto/ht_stmt.htm (28 September 2000).

    Website is a "how-to" site covering many topics. Article includes quick tips and how to write a mission statement. Has good links to other articles. F. John Reh is a widely experienced management professional. 

12. "How to Write a Mission Statement". March 1999.
    http://marketing-momentum.com/mission.htm
    (28 September 2000).

    Website is designed to provide marketing information. It provides some very good questions that are important for establishing a mission statement. Doesn't cover mission statement philosophy in depth. 

13. "How to Write a Mission Statement". June 2000.
    http://www.nnh.org/tobacco/appe-3-2.htm
    (28 September 2000).

    Provides a quick why and "how-to" list for a good mission statement. The National Network for Health adapted the information from Program Trends in Business and Industry, March, 1991.