Role of the Mission Statement

Leaders should emphasize the current mission statement to employees, which clarifies the purpose and
primary, measurable objectives of the organization. A mission statement is meant for employees and
leaders of the organization. Strategic plans may involve changing the mission statement to reflect a new
direction of the organization. Highlighting the benefits of the change and minimizing the deficits will help
employees and the public buy into the change.

Another way to look at it is that mission statements describe the company's mission as it is now and for
the near future. So if the company is undergoing major changes, it would make sense to revise the mission
statement so it is current.

Role of the Vision Statement

Like mission statements, vision statements help to describe the organization's purpose. Vision statements
give direction for employee behavior and help provide inspiration. Strategic plans may require a marketing
strategy, which could include the vision statement to also help inspire consumers to work with the
organization.

A vision statement is a view into the future with hope and a positive outlook. It describes a
company's inspirational, long-term plan for what they'll be able to accomplish, who they will help, and
how the company will then be perceived. It's often out of reach for now, but not so far out of reach as to
be unattainable. The vision statement gives everyone a description of what they're working towards.

Purposes of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning will likely have its successes and failures. Leaders should celebrate the little successes
toward meeting objectives, which are part of the mission and vision statement. The mission statement
will help measure whether the strategic plan aligns with the overall goals of the agency. The vision
statement helps to provide inspiration to employees. Employees who feel invested in the organizational
change are more likely to stay motivated and have higher levels of productivity.

Encouraging Continued Engagement

A successful change will involve communicating and repeating mission and vision statements, which helps
prevent people from becoming discouraged in the event of small failures along the way. Leaders
should continue to highlight the strengths of the strategic plan and involve important stakeholders in the
process. Engaging employees and volunteers will help them to recognize and take ownership of the
change. Involving employees also helps to provide more minds to prevent possible problems.

Examples to Consider

Many companies have vision and mission statements that don't serve them well. Still, there are companies
with outstanding statements. LinkedIn is a good example:
Vision: To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.

Mission: To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.

Notice how LinkedIn's vision statement refers to "every member of the global workforce." That's a huge
goal that won't be accomplished in the near future. Maybe never. But it is inspiring and makes employees
want to achieve it.

The mission statement, on the other hand, is achievable. By connecting professionals, they give them the
contacts they need to make them more productive and successful.

Now consider the example of Southwest airlines:

Vision: To become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline.

Mission: The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service
delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.

There's no question Southwest's vision statement is for the future. Many people currently love Southwest,
but everyone in the world? Hardly. Will they ever be "most loved, most flown, and most profitable"?
That's a lot to ask of any business. But by striving for all three, they're encouraging employees to be at
their best

Southwest's mission statement is much more down-to-earth, current and achievable. Their employees
have the choice to dedicate themselves to having the highest quality service, to be warm and friendly,
proud and filled with company spirit.

Benefits of mission and vision statement.

vision and mission statements provide unanimity of purpose to organizations and imbue the employees
with a sense of belonging and identity. Indeed, vision and mission statements are embodiments of
organizational identity and carry the organizations creed and motto. For this purpose, they are also called
as statements of creed.

Vision and mission statements spell out the context in which the organization operates and provides the
employees with a tone that is to be followed in the organizational climate. Since they define the reason
for existence of the organization, they are indicators of the direction in which the organization must move
to actualize the goals in the vision and mission statements.

The vision and mission statements serve as focal points for individuals to identify themselves with the
organizational processes and to give them a sense of direction while at the same time deterring those
who do not wish to follow them from participating in the organization’s activities.

The vision and mission statements help to translate the objectives of the organization into work structures
and to assign tasks to the elements in the organization that are responsible for actualizing them in
practice.

To specify the core structure on which the organizational edifice stands and to help in the translation of
objectives into actionable cost, performance, and time related measures.
Finally, vision and mission statements provide a philosophy of existence to the employees, which is very
crucial because as humans, we need meaning from the work to do and the vision and

Procter & Gamble’s Vision Statement

“Be, and be recognized as, the best consumer products and services company in the world.”

In this corporate vision, the term “best” characterizes what the company aims to achieve in the global
consumer goods market. This factor indicates how the Procter & Gamble Company sees itself relative to
other firms in the industry. In addition, the term describes the capabilities and potential of the business
organization. In this regard, the corporate vision statement highlights the following characteristics
relevant to Procter & Gamble and its business condition:

 Be the best consumer products and services company

 Be recognized as the best consumer products and services company
 Global market operations

first characteristic of Procter & Gamble’s vision statement requires steps that ensure the company’s
leadership in the consumer goods industry. P&G does not specify the criteria for determining the “best”
position. However, typical considerations to achieve industry leadership include quality and value of
products, quality of customer service, and corporate responsibility status, among others. The second
feature of Procter & Gamble’s corporate vision statement focuses on recognition. Such recognition
requires strategic objectives that involve marketing management, among others.

Procter & Gamble’s Mission Statement

“We will provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the
world’s consumers, now and for generations to come. As a result, consumers will reward us with
leadership sales, profit and value creation, allowing our people, our shareholders and the communities in
which we live and work to prosper.”

This corporate mission contains a detailed specification that influences Procter & Gamble’s strategic
direction. Superiority in quality and value are emphasized, just as these factors are also highlighted in the
company’s vision statement. Procter & Gamble’s corporate mission statement has the following
characteristics:

 Branded products and services of superior quality and value

 Improve the lives of the world’s consumers, now and for generations to come
 Leadership sales, profit and value creation
 Prosperity of people, shareholders and communities
Analysis and recommendation.
Based on the conditions of the consumer goods industry, the Procter & Gamble Company’s vision
statement is satisfactory in following conventions on writing ideal vision statements. For example, P&G’s
corporate vision specifies an ideal future business condition, which emphasizes leadership or being the
best in the global market. A recommendation for a possible improvement of the vision statement is to
include variables that Procter & Gamble uses in determining such leadership position. For example, the
company can specify leadership or being the best in terms of financial performance, customer service,
and product quality. These variables can make Procter & Gamble’s corporate vision statement more
effective in guiding strategic objectives and decisions.

Procter & Gamble’s mission statement is a detailed account of strategic direction in the consumer goods
market. For example, the corporate mission specifies a product development strategy that emphasizes
quality and value. Also, the statement includes information about high sales, profit, and value. Moreover,
the mission statement’s inclusion of the detail about the prosperity of stakeholders guides Procter &
Gamble’s corporate social responsibility strategy. Thus, based on conventions on writing ideal mission
statements, Procter & Gamble’s corporate mission statement is satisfactory.

General Motors Company’s Vision Statement

General Motors’ corporate vision is “to become the world’s most valued automotive company.” This
vision statement points to the leadership of the business, while considering the conditions of the global
market and the various factors at play. Thus, the following are the main components of General Motors’
vision statement:

 World (global market)

 Most valued company

General Motors Company specifies its operations at the international level. The first component of the
vision statement guides the company’s strategies toward reaching the top position in the global
automotive industry. Keeping such position is challenging because of tough competition with other large
automobile manufacturers. The second feature of General Motors’ corporate vision statement shows that
value is the basis of leadership that the company aims to achieve. The definition of such value is not
specified in the corporate vision, posing a challenge to decision makers in using different variables for
determining value. For example, financial performance, perceived product value, and other factors are
possible determinants of the value of General Motors.

General Motors Company’s Mission Statement

General Motors’ corporate mission is “to earn customers for life by building brands that inspire passion
and loyalty through not only breakthrough technologies but also by serving and improving the
communities in which we live and work around the world.” This mission statement shows a holistic
approach to addressing external factors that influence the business. Thus, the following are the
components or features of General Motors’ mission statement:
  Earn customers for life
 Building brands that inspire passion and loyalty
 Breakthrough technologies

Serving and improving communities in which we live and work around the world

The first component of the mission statement requires that General Motors must work toward gaining
loyal customers. For example, the company’s strategies must implement measures that develop a loyal
customer base through factors like product quality, brand image, and others. The second feature of
General Motors’ corporate mission statement gives a general direction on how to earn customers for life.
For instance, the company must inspire passion and loyalty through its brands. Furthermore, technological
breakthroughs are a way of fulfilling such inspiration, as shown in the third component of General Motors’
mission statement. However, the corporate mission also points to the importance of serving and
improving communities. This fourth component is associated with organizational activities that address
the interests of stakeholders of GM’s automotive business.

Analysis & Recommendations

Details included in General Motors’ mission statement satisfy conventions for developing corporate
mission statements. For example, the company’s corporate mission shows details on business approaches
or strategic actions. These approaches or actions are expected to enable General Motors to reach its goals.
Thus, the mission statement is satisfactory and ideal for the automobile manufacturing business.

General Motors’ vision statement is simple and focused on achieving leadership. However, it does not
satisfy conventions for developing corporate vision statements. Ideally, a company’s vision statement
must contain enough information on a certain desired future state of the business. In this regard, some
changes are needed to improve General Motors’ corporate vision statement. A recommendation is to add
details on what value means in the context of GM and the automotive industry. For example, the vision
statement could include more information about the factors or variables that can be used to establish or
determine the value of the company. These variables or factors could include financial performance,
brand image, corporate image, process efficiency, and rate of innovation, among others.

1. Customers: Who are the enterprise's customers?

2. Products or services: What are the firm's major products or
services?
3. Markets: Where does the firm compete?
4. Technology: What is the firm's basic technology?
5. Concern for survival, growth, and profitability: What is the firm's
commitment towards economic objectives?
6. Philosophy: What are the basic beliefs, core values, aspirations
and philosophical priorities of the firm?
 7. Self-concept: What are the firm's major strengths and competitive
advantages?
8. Concern for public image: What is the firm's public image?
9. Concern for employees: What is the firm's attitude/orientation
towards employees?

Evaluation

Does it include...?

Customers Products/ Services Markets

Yes Yes Yes

Technology Concern for survival Philosophy

Yes Yes Yes

Self-concept Concern for public image Employees

 Yes No Yes

Does it mention values like...? Customer or product-

oriented?

Citizenship Teamwork Product-oriented

No No Score

Excellence Integrity

No No 2.7/4.5

(This evaluation framework is composed of the guidelines listed in our article: Mission
Statement for Success)

Overview
GM’s mission has scored 2.7 points out of 4.5, due to product-oriented mission that
doesn’t include any of the most important values. Product-oriented mission provides
less flexibility for the company, has shorter life cycle than customer-oriented mission
has and offers limited expansion to other markets. For example, GM would struggle to
grow to other product categories, such as motorcycles because it would have to
restructure its business model and their mission accordingly. The company should
rather focus on moving people around the world or improving world’s mobility as Toyota
does. Therefore, GM’s mission is poorly constructed and doesn’t address all the
stakeholders properly. Nevertheless, it is clear what GM’s core business is and where
the company is heading to.