Most business owners are aware they need a mission as part of a brand-building strategy, but having one doesn’t guarantee success. In fact, many mission statements have been wordsmithed by marketing departments and vetted by legal to a point where they say nothing, asserts Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, PhD, president of Advantage Leadership. She recommends these tips when developing a mission for your growing business:

• Make sure the mission is clear. If employees can’t remember the mission or express it in their own words, they can’t implement it. Keep it simple and to the point. Mission statements don’t have to be poetic or lengthy.

• Help individual employees understand how their jobs fulfill the mission. These discussions can take place one-on-one or in a team setting. The key is to make sure people can express in their own words how their job supports the mission.

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• Track your progress toward the mission. Setting goals and objectives that are linked directly to fulfilling the mission, and then measuring progress, are the keys to making the mission a reality.

• Regularly scrutinize the mission. As you work on your strategic brand management plan, make sure the mission still expresses who you are. Avoid the urge to just tinker with the words; changing the mission means you have decided to change direction.

• Make sure the mission has staying power. If you’re constantly changing the mission, you may be too focused on high-level goals. Look at your long-term vision. Are you setting clear, achievable goals for staff that support that vision?

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