Creating a Mission Statement for Your Unit
Why is a mission statement so important?
A mission statement can be a powerful leadership tool. A strong mission statement not only
communicates strategic intent, but it also creates meaning for employees. It gives them a
shared sense of purpose and direction. This is essential for increasing employee engagement.
As two influential strategists have noted, “Most people won’t go the extra mile unless they know
where they are heading.” (Hamel & Prahalad, 1996). And it is the leader’s responsibility to
provide that direction. To do that, a leader’s first step is to create a compelling mission
statement.
While crafting an effective mission statement is vitally important, it is not enough. Even when it
is well written, it may be forgotten unless the leader finds ways to infuse it into the culture of the
organization or business unit. Indeed, that is the next step: the leader must find ways to bring
the statement to life. The mission statement needs to be a part of recruitment and hiring,
performance management, and rewards and recognition. By incorporating the mission into
these core practices and systems, the leader can positively impact organizational behavior and
realize the full benefits of a highly committed workforce.
What is a mission statement?
According to Wikipedia, a “mission statement is a short statement of an organization's purpose... A
mission is not simply a description of an organization, but an expression, made by its leaders, of
their desires and intent for the organization. The purpose of a mission statement is to focus and
direct the organization itself… It communicates primarily to the people who make up the
organization—its members or employees—giving them a shared understanding of the organization's
intended direction.”
In short, mission statements articulate what you are supposed to be doing. If you don’t know
that, no one else will either.
What are the key elements?
A good mission statement contains five things:
Name of the office, department, or unit
The primary purpose of the unit (why do you do what you do?)
The unit’s primary functions or activities
The unit’s stakeholders or customers
Reference to the broader mission of the organization, department, and division
A basic template including these five elements would be: “In support of the organization’s
mission to (broader organization mission), the mission of (your office name) is to (your
primary purpose) by providing (your primary functions or activities) to (your stakeholders).”
Additional clarifying statements may be provided and the order of the elements of the mission
statement may vary.
Examples
“The University of Chicago is a world-class institution of higher education. Its mission is to
produce a caliber of teaching and research that regularly leads to advances in fields such as
medicine, biology, physics, economics, critical theory and public policy. Our Facilities Services
team supports that mission through efforts to maintain and enhance the University campus and
environment and provide superior client service to our community including faculty, students,
staff, neighbors and visitors.”
“In support of the CUIMC overall mission to provide clinical care, research, education and
community service to make CUIMC a destination campus, CUIMC HR is committed to delivering
the highest quality services, strategic partnerships and collaborative solutions that focus on our
valued clients’ business initiatives while working together as a team to energize our campus
community every day”
Tips
Make sure you have senior management buy-in before embarking on creation – or revision – of
a mission statement. What you create will need to align with the broader mission statement(s) of
your organization, department, and division.
Ask yourself, or your team members, these questions as you consider what to include in your
mission statement:
• Why does this area exist? What is it supposed to accomplish?
• What does this area do to carry out that purpose?
• Who does this area work for?
• What do we want to become as an area?
• What is our unique contribution? How can we distinguish ourselves as an organization?
• What legacy do we want to leave on CUIMC as individuals / an area?
• If we were wildly successful in this area, what would we have done?
Ask customers, stakeholders, staff, and others in and outside of the organization for insight as
you create your mission statement and for input when you are ready to propose a mission
statement.
For additional support with your mission statement
If you would like support in developing - or revising - a mission, vision, or values, contact the
CUIMC-HR Talent Management team. We will work with you to create valuable and effective
mission, vision, or values statements.
For consultation services, contact Sophie Oberstein, Associate Director of Learning &
Organization Development, at so2558@cumc.columbia.edu, or 212-305-0974.
