One of the things that initiate and carry forward teamwork and success of the company is the team mission statements. It is an essential aspect for a company and even each team to ensure efficient and specific working. The overall productivity of a team may rely on a team’s mission statement. One may also say that it is a mini-guide to set goals and carry out the same. let us know What Is Team Mission Statement?-How To Write And Examples.
Let’s look at what a mission statement is and go over the basics.
What is a team mission statement?
One can define a team mission statement as an outline for the particular team. What their motives should be and how they need to carry it out. From being just a line to a small paragraph of a few lines, it traces the path the team needs to follow as well as decides the goal.
To put it in more detailed terms, a team mission statement involves the reason for the formation of the team, its link with the company, its goals, and its objectives. Additionally, it also lines up tasks in a defined order which is necessary for achieving the goal.
Why is it necessary?
A team mission statement is important for the team from many fronts. It’s not just a small piece of information to ignore but rather the foundation for laying out the major aspects of the team in many respects.
- Define goals
The major purpose of a team is a goal. It is the very reason why a team is made. Having a team mission statement puts out the goal with clarity. It is the core of their collaboration and each member is to keep it in mind while working. Moreover, the team statement will avoid all kinds of misinterpretation and serves as a constant reminder of the co-existence of the team. This is beneficial in many ways. By defining goals in the mission statement, it is made clear in advance what is expected of each member and how they are to fulfill the same.
- Determines Behavior
After having figured out the goal, the next step is to determine the standard and behavior that the teammates are required to follow. Everyone needs to have a bar set to ensure collective and efficient working. Knowing in what way you are to deliver your tasks will assist in a better performance overall. It also puts forth team-oriented values, morals, and regulations to abide by that are pre-defined and linked with the company. When you’re aware of the Dos and Don’ts it creates more clarity on what and how you put in efforts.
- Planning and strategies
Having a team mission statement is like having a map with accurate directions. Having figured your goal and the pointers to abide by, you can create a foolproof plan. With a mission statement in hand, you can create effective and fixed strategies that are in line with the expectations of the company. Usually, members chalk out plans only to realize it doesn’t fit with the company’s values or requires additions at every step. Having a statement avoids the hassles of having to reconstruct your plan of action now and then.
- Envision the future
It is possible to envision plans and goals for the future when you know the ultimate present goal. A team mission statement helps to follow the tracks of the current flow and direct the growth of the team and company. To put it simply, you know your goal and plan; it’s only natural that you’ll take one step further to see how the goal affects the future thereby indirectly creating future ambitions too!
- Stability
Stability is an important factor especially when you’re working with many groups. What happens when your team comprises smaller segments or follows the shifting format of working? Not determining the goals correctly would not only lead to chaos but will also ruin the final output. That’s where a team mission statement comes in handy. When each smaller segment is aware of the tasks, progress, and expectations, they are likely to follow the same format to deliver the expected results. In any case, say your team has changed in positions or that of members, the statement will help to guide and continue the quality of work.
Benefits
While being important, a team mission statement has perks of its own which you probably weren’t aware of!
- Collective identification
Having a strong mission statement for your team creates a sense of belonging among the members. Having one objective in mind, your team is defined by a single identity. Moreover, each member is recognized as a part of that team. This allows you to coordinate better. Other than that, it makes it easier for the organization to identify and supervise your team together with others.
- Allows evaluation
One of the ideal benefits of a team mission statement is its ability to allow you to evaluate. As a constant reminder of your goal and methods, you know whether or not you as an individual as well as your team are up to the mark or not. With a team mission statement, improvisations are possible at many levels. This favors your skills as well as the growth of the company. You may not realize it but when you strive to work as per your team mission statement, you develop various skills right from teamwork and adjusting to tips and tricks to boost your performance!
- Awareness
A team mission statement keeps you aware of your ethics as an employee and teammate. Apart from success, there is always another main motive behind every company. Whether it’s quality or customer satisfaction, you get a clear picture from your mission statement. So you’re not just a robot running behind success but you become aware of the value your talk holds be it as simple as editing or as huge as leading the rest of the company. Everyone needs a moral to follow to execute excellency and a good team mission statement does just that!
- Itinerary and objectivity
Quite often, as a part of a team, you misunderstand your responsibility in the team. You feel your position or role is not as important. A team mission statement is a daily dose of how valuable you are to your team and company. It sets aside your actions on what you need to do your part to bring out the best in the team. It gives a potential itinerary and objectivity through its simple message that serves as a motivator. Try to look at your mission statement and see whether it lifts your enthusiasm and points out why you’re part of the team!
- Unity
A major motive of a team mission statement is to serve the purpose of uniting the members. When the goal is in place and so is the method, what remains is to designate actions for each member and collaborate on the same. Unity is the key to achieving fruitful results in a team. With a mission statement, each member knows how to unify their results into a success!
How to write
So you’ve got the tips. Head over to frame your team’s mission statement together with your team! However, keep in mind the following points!
- Purpose
Make sure that the purpose of your team is defined clearly. From this, the team members will derive their line of action, behavior, coordination, and so on. In short, if the purpose doesn’t stand out neither will your team. It is the first and foremost reason why a team mission statement is prepared. The path you choose and the roles you play are defined through the purpose. As the central part of the mission statement, the purpose must be professional and all-encompassing. One that is solid and will bring together all other aspects.
- Team efforts
Try to involve your team members’ opinions while drafting the mission statement. This allows you to get an idea of their knowledge and mindset as well as gives you the chance to develop your initial coordination. If you’re coordinated from the start, it becomes easier to work together till the goal is achieved. A mission statement that contains the opinions and ideologies of the members is also more relatable. Having contributed to the objective, they too will be more open to working harder and will take it as their duty to do what it takes to make the mission a success.
- Consider clients
Keeping in mind who your audience or clients are is important. Only then will you be able to frame your goal with clarity. Whether your task is affiliated to a larger part of the organization or directly to the team is also something that should be understood. Understanding whether your audience is diverse, limited, specific, and so on will increase the variety of strategies to accomplish the goal. Moreover, it adds perfection to your results.
- Highlights
A team mission statement is not a rulebook. At max, it will be a paragraph. So you want to ensure that the most important and delicate information is mentioned. Remember that your team mission statement is something that every member should be encouraged to read every day. It should be a reminder about all the why, what, and how in a nutshell. Something that drives each member to give their best performance each day is what makes up a potential and brilliant mission statement.
- Long-term effects
Every task has some effect on the individual, the team, the organization as well as the clients. These have to be considered in the long term. For instance, does your team mission statement carry enthusiasm that the team can always look up to? As an individual member, does the statement push you to grow? Does it consider the future of the company? Although the mission statement is short, every word counts! Make sure that these questions can be effectively answered via your mission statement.
- Update and upgrade!
While a team mission statement tends to last long and is stable, consider changing it once in a while. This adds a fresh touch to your team. However, remember to align the goals and not drift from the tasks each time you change them. You may consider changing it when improvisations are required or even when you and your team decide to give it a new idea! For short-term teams, you need not be worried about changing the statement. It’s only a matter of time but you can get creative if you like within the time you have.
Qualities of a good team mission statement
When all is said, done, and drafted, come back here and take a look to see if you find these qualities in your statement! If you do, you’re good to go!
- Precision
Does your team mission statement involve all the highlights that are to be present? There’s no point in a statement if it’s something that won’t direct the members despite them reading and memorizing it. Having a precise team mission statement means that it must include all that is required to get the team up and at it. Additionally, it should be framed keeping in mind the goal and capabilities of the members. This makes it easier for the members to set tasks accordingly.
- Short and concise
You wouldn’t read a whole paragraph every day before work, would you? Neither would you even glance through it even if it were on your walls, books, or desktops. Avoid keeping the statement lengthy. As the name goes, it’s a statement so you want to refrain from keeping it over 5 lines. Hard as it may be, it has more chances of influencing and encouraging the members. There is a lot to include, however, use productive adjectives that will say what you want with just words rather than sentences and paragraphs.
- Open
Keep the mission statement open and practical. Don’t flood it with dreamy words. Involving the members’ opinions so they feel they can match the energy that is required is necessary. Instead of perfect, focus on practical; something the members consider possible. Quite often the mission statements set high standards that the employees don’t even believe in. Remember why you need a statement in the first place. Your team mission statement should derive them to do their best over being the best.
- For and by the team
Generally, team members opt to draft their statements. However, in certain cases, it is a duty left to the manager or the head of the team alone. It is not a task to prepare a statement. It is a blueprint you need as guidance. When team members are kept out of the framing, they can’t relate to the objectives mentioned. Moreover, they already develop a sense of order which restricts them from giving their best and growing or getting creative. Take inputs from the members before the draft is made. When they see something they are familiar with, they can push themselves better.
- Inspiring
You want to add an inspiring tone to your mission statement. One that brings out the best in each teammate. Completely straightforward and instruction-like tones don’t work with the team. It shouldn’t be something they look at as orders to be carried out daily but rather plans shared with them for their growth and the growth of the company. The statement should be like a dose of enthusiasm which the members can look at and be refreshed and full of energy! Make sure your team’s mission statement is full of life before you try to get energy from your members!
- Authenticity
Nobody wants a boring, regular and repetitive set of lines to walk through every day. Pick something fresh, original. Something authentic that is unique to your team maybe. Get creative with your words but at the same time ensure professionalism. Don’t go overboard on the work perspective while framing the draft. The mission statement should be an understanding that you learn, grow, and have a lot more attached to the team and the goal than just work.
Examples
All head on board to look at a few examples of innovative and vibrant mission statements!
- Quality team
As the name suggests, this team looks after capacity and productivity. It is their job to make sure only the best is used and distributed right from raw materials to the finished product. They look after the procedures to make sure the quality of the product and thereby the company is not shifted.
- We never compromise! Quality is our priority and delivering nothing but excellence is our goal. Give it your best to give only the best!
- Settling for nothing but the best! Quality is our expertise as well as our pride and we must enhance it always!
- Packaging team
The packaging team is affiliated with the outer appearance of the product and also the company. One can say that the outer presentation is handled by this team. When you look at the wrapper of chocolate or the box of the doughnuts, you get an idea about the professionalism and artsy side of the company. That is the packaging team at work
- Our work represents the company. Always adding positive energy as well as portraying our years of skill and loyalty is our prime duty!
- Making products shine so that they sweep the customers off their feet! Our goal is to make the customers fall in love at first sight!
- Creative team
The creative team has to fulfill the task of adding color and spark to the company. How the products or strategies can be made vibrant and customer-oriented rests upon the creative team. Their work creates a fusion of originality and specialty which makes the company stand out.
- To always think out of the box, to constantly seek new methods to fly, to expand imagination, and never stop creating is our goal!
- Giving the business an artsy touch is our specialty; Experimenting and makeovers are a passion!
- Sales and marketing team
This one looks after the sales. The reach that the product or brand name has. They are in charge of creating agendas and monitoring the business numbers. Once the social media team has done their job, these are next in line.
- We strive to up our game at all times. To deliver splendidly and climb the ladder together with the company is our objective. Our processes decide the results!
- An increase in sales is an increase in the accomplishment of our company. To go higher and higher in productivity and business is our mission!
- Social media team
A social media team is responsible for the growth and expansion of the organization. One can say that increasing the numbers and making sure that the company is on the map is on them. Platforms and methods are different. However, this is one of the only teams that have direct contact with the public.
- Our company works tirelessly to yield brilliant services and it is up to our team to make them shine out there! Engaging strategies of honesty is our protocol to create a link between the customer’s needs and the company’s talent!
- We are the communicating face, putting out the company’s morals and values along with products is our focus. We’re not just media, we’re the bond between the clients and the company
- Information team
An information team is linked with doing research and analysis and obtaining all kinds of information for the company be it products, raw materials, clients, and so on. While the audience may vary, the core task of producing quality information remains standard.
- Providing accurate and distinct resources is our priority. The company relies on our task and we must go one step ahead and get details down to the dot!
- We are the eyes and ears of the company! Our goal is to create unique opportunities for the organization and give intact details to experiment with the same!
FAQs
- Is a team mission statement different from a company mission statement?
A team mission statement is not to be confused with a company statement which marks the course of action for the entire organization. Contradictory to this, a team’s statement is restricted to the members of the group and is generally drafted by the members themselves.
- Why is it important for team members to create a team mission statement?
A team mission statement is one that should motivate and lift your spirits. Leaving the drafting of the same to superiors may make it seem like regular instructions. One can say that there is an inverse relationship between a team and the statement they formulate. It makes goals more attainable and recognizable than those which superiors may frame.
Conclusion
With all your tips in place, get going and draft your team mission statement! Remember to use your company name and morals along with your goals and get a brilliant statement.
