Purpose or Mission Statement

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Though sometimes dismissed as a "feel-good" exercise, creating a team mission or purpose statement has a solid basis in the psychology of motivation and aids in aligning work efforts. When these statements are actively used to guide work planning and decision-making, studies show they can improve company profits and employee commitment. Here is a basic procedure for creating a mission statement:

  1. Gather input from stakeholders, especially upper managers and internal or external customers.
  2. In a meeting, write the company's mission and those of any divisions your team is in on a board or flip chart to ensure alignment with them.
  3. Ask yourselves, "What do you want to achieve? In other words, why does this team exist?"
  4. Brainstorm an initial list without allowing comments on each others' ideas.
  5. Use a formal decision-making technique to complete your purpose or mission statement.

Add the statement to any formal team documents, such as the Team Charter, and refer to it regularly when making decisions. Whenever the team considers making a change, ask how that change fits with the team's purpose. If the change doesn't fit, reconsider either the change or the mission statement.

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