How to Write Mission, Vision, and Values Statements

Chrissy Culek, MPIA

Researcher

 JULY 12, 2019

Mission, vision and values statements serve as the foundation

for any organization’s strategic plan. They convey the purpose,

direction and underlying values of the organization. When

developed and implemented in a thoughtful and deliberate

manner, these statements can serve as powerful tools that

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How to Write Mission, Vision,

and Values Statements - 75

Examples to Help Guide You

Through the Process

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provide organizations with meaningful guidance, especially

under times of rapid change. Consequently, taking the time to

craft relevant mission, vision and value statements should be

carefully considered.

To get started, review our tips below on

how to write a good mission, vision and

values statement, and download our list

of 75 mission, vision and values

statement examples below:

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Mission Statements

The mission statement de. nes an organization’s

purpose or reason for being. It guides the day-to-

day operations of the organization, communicates

to external stakeholders the core solutions the

organization provides in society and motivates

employees toward a common near-to-medium term

goal. In short, the mission statement paints a

picture of who the company is and what the

company does.

A good mission statement should only focus on

what is most important to the organization. It

should be brief, clear, informative, simple and direct.

It should avoid elaborate language, clichés, and

generalizations, and it should emphasize outcomes

and the people the organization is serving.

When writing a mission statement, consider the

following questions:

What do we do today?

Who do we serve?

What are we trying to accomplish?

What impact do we want to achieve?

Examples:

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LinkedIn: To connect the world’s professionals to

make them more productive and successful.

Twitter: To give everyone the power to create

and share ideas and information, instantly,

without barriers.

TripAdvisor: To help people around the world

plan and have the perfect trip.

Tesla: To accelerate the world's transition to

sustainable energy.

Sweetgreen: To inspire healthier communities by

connecting people to real food.

Vision Statements

The vision statement describes the future of the

organization. It reveals what the company aspires

to be or hopes to achieve in the long-term. The

vision statement is inspirational and motivational

but also provides direction, mapping out where the

organization is headed. In this regard, it serves as a

guide for choosing current and future courses of

action.

An effective vision statement should be concise,

unambiguous, futuristic, realistic, aspirational and

inspirational. It should not be generic but rather

focus on outcomes specic to the organization. 

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When writing a vision statement, consider these

questions:

Where are we going moving forward?

What do we want to achieve in the future?

What kind of future society do we envision?

Examples:

LinkedIn: To create economic opportunity for

every member of the global workforce.

GoDaddy: We will radically shift the global

economy toward small business by

empoweringpeople to easily start, condently

grow and successfully run their own ventures.

Wikimedia Foundation: Imagine a world in

which every single human being can freely share

in thesum of all knowledge. That’s our

commitment.

Amazon: To be the Earth's most customer-

centric company, where customers can nd and

discover anything they might want to buy online.

Habitat for Humanity: A world where everyone

has a decent place to live.

Values Statements

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An organization’s values statement highlights the

organization’s core principles and philosophical

ideals. It is used to inform and guide the decisions

and behaviors of the people inside the organization

and signal to external stakeholders what’s

important to the company. The organization’s core

values shape daily culture and establish standards

of conduct against which actions and decisions can

be assessed.

A values statement should be memorable,

actionable and timeless. The format of the values

statement depends on the organization; some

organizations use one, two or three words to

describe their core values while others provide a

short phrase.

When drafting a values statement, some questions

to consider include:

What do we stand for?

What behaviors do we value over all else?

How will we conduct our activities to achieve our

mission and vision?

How do we treat members of our own organization

and community?

Examples:

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Gusto:

Ownership mentality.

Don’t optimize for the short term.

We are all builders.

Go the extra mile.

Do what’s right.

Be transparent.

Etsy:

We are mindful, transparent, and human

business.

We plan and build for the long term.

We value craftsmanship in all we make.

We believe fun should be a part of everything we

do.

We keep it real, always.

Summary

The mission, vision, and values statements are the

guiding forces behind an organization. The mission

statement communicates the purpose of the

organization. The vision statement provides insight

into what the company hopes to achieve or become

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in the future. The values statement reects the

organization’s core principles and ethics. Together,

these statements provide strategic direction for an

organization, informing current and future business

strategies.

Interested in viewing examples from other

organizations? Download our collection of of 75

mission, vision, and value statements below:

Download 75 Examples below:

First name*

Last name*

Business Email*

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Other Helpful Resources
365 Careers, January 26, 2018,The mission, vision
and values statements [video le].
Bain & Company, April 2, 2018, Mission and vision
statements.
Diffen LLC, n.d., Mission statement vs. vision
statement.
Paula Fernandes, May 4, 2018, What is a vision
statement?
Linda Le Phan, April 12, 2018, How to dene your
company’s core values (37 experts share their advice)
[blog]. 
William A. Nelson & Paul B. Gardent, March/April
2011, "Organizational values statements,"
Healthcare Executive, 56-59.
Edward L. Powers, 2012, "Organizational mission
statement guidelines revisited," International Journal
of Management & Information Systems, 16(4), 281-
290.
Britt Skrabanek, August 19, 2018, Difference
between vision and mission statements: 25 examples.
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Chrissy Culek, MPIA
Researcher
 JULY 12, 2019
SERVICE AREA
Strategy Suite
SERVICES
Facilitation+ Strategic Planning Mission, Vision & Values
TOPICS
Culture Strategy Development
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