answer12

What function does an organizational statement of mission play in regard to culture and leadership?

Mission is a way of advertising to stakeholders about the core intent of the organization. It is usually a page or less of items that explain why an organization exists, how it intends, generally, to maintain those reasons for existence, and gives a way for people to get the point of the organization in a quick run through, if written well.

It should reflect the values of the organization, and represent them in ways that are realistic, achievable, and reasonable. It should have some boundary to it, in the same way that the business should have boundary to it -- it does not make sense to "blue sky" in a mission statement in such a way that the realities of the core business, the strategic plan, the values, and other organizational elements would suffer to try to meet and achieve.

Mission is a way of refocusing mental efforts on organiational direction, answering key questions for the casual observer, representing stakeholders, and exposing what is of key importance to the organization.

Great missions make it relatively easy to read then decide whether an organization is in conflict with an activity.