Mission Statement · The statement · Component
The activity
What the organisation actually does, in ordinary words — the part most often replaced by a category description.
The deliverable
What it is
Most mission statements describe a category rather than an activity. “We deliver innovative solutions” names an industry posture; “we build and run payroll systems for small employers” names a company.
The wording should survive being said out loud to someone at a dinner party without embarrassment, which is a more demanding test than it sounds.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
The verb
What the organisation does, as an ordinary verb.
3 attributes: Activity · Concrete · Distinct activities
LearnThe plain language test
Whether someone outside the industry would understand it.
3 attributes: Understood · What they said instead · Jargon terms
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If no concrete verb fits, the organisation does several things and the sentence is trying to cover all of them.
The other components in the statement
The audience
Who the organisation does it for, named specifically enough to exclude someone — because a mission serving everyone serves nobody in particular.
LearnThe end
What the activity is for — the outcome the audience gets, as distinct from the outcome the organisation gets.
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