Generating a Mission Statement – Collaborative Process
Process Overview
1. Analyze appropriate internal and external data that has bearing on the program mission
2. Learn and understand what a mission is, how it’s used, how you’ll create one
3. Put your program into context of larger institutional missions, goals, and strategies
4. Write down ideas -- use worksheet to get focused
5. Generate group’s language that describes vividly:
a. Who we serve
b. What our purpose is
c. How we achieve our purpose
d. Benefits/results of our work
e. Core Values/Beliefs
6. Consolidate and come to consensus on words that say what each area means to the group as a whole, using voting
technique and all-inclusive participation
7. Clarify all terms agreed by the group
8. Using agreed upon terms, language, and a generic mission statement template, start to compose a statement by
plugging in the language and working with each component until it is shaped into a suitable draft.
9. Incubate. Revisit and clarify any terms. Assess using mission statement criteria.
10. Publish and communicate as soon as possible. Follow up with session to determine effectiveness measures,
outcomes, core values, vision statement (if desired), critical analysis of “as-is” versus “to-be” program design (if
desired), and strategic 3-5 year plan (if desired) to close gap and achieve “to-be” conditions that will fulfill the stated
mission.
Mission Components Clarified
1. Customers/stakeholders/competitors – present and future
a. internal/external
b. ages, characteristics of students served
2. Products or services, self-concepts
a. curriculum philosophy and instructional approaches used
b. 1 or 2 unique features of the program
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c. strengths of the program, public image
3. Concern for survival, growth, attitude towards goals
a. articulation of values and future aspirations
b. beliefs, values, aspirations
4. 1 or 2 overall goals, results of achieving goals
a. compelling picture or image of what the program does to achieve stakeholder goals
b. feasibility and attainability
c. ability to be transformed into actions and plans that can be implemented
Detailed Process Guidelines
1.
Participants need to understand the purpose of a mission statement, what it means to them, what it is, the
components, why it’s important and the process they’ll go through to generate one.
a. Difference between “mission” and “vision”:
i. A vision means an image of what the program can and should become. It is deeply embedded in
values, hopes, and dreams. Who are we? What do we believe is possible? How do we hope others
see us?
ii. A mission statement is more specific and often defines what the school is trying to accomplish and
for whom. It can be developed from the vision itself. It’s measurable; outcomes naturally can be
defined from it. Who do we serve? What’s our purpose? How do we achieve and measure that?
iii. Goals and objectives are still more specific and concrete, are derived from the vision, and can be
used to focus change and improvement efforts
b. Essential first step in strategic management and program design (David, 1984; Staples & Black, 1984).
i. enduring document of purpose that distinguishes one program from others
ii. declaration of an organization’s “reason for being.”
iii. essential to effectively establishing objectives, strategies, setting goals, devising policies, allocating
resources, motivating staff
iv. must be the most visible and public part of a strategic plan
c. A task force can do the initial development, however, if the group is too large, it should be divided into a
sub-committee
i. process involves rendering differences of opinion, vital part of achieving an appropriate mission
statement
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ii. process you go through in coming to consensus in developing the mission statement is as
important as the output of the process
2. Participants need to have a foundational knowledge of internal and external data related to stakeholder needs and
expectations.
a. How has the job market changed?
b. What have we done to prepare our students for success in this world?
c. How have our constituents and their needs changed?
3. Facilitate analysis of data and draw high level conclusions about what the data says (but not suggestions yet on
what should be done to address it).
4. may start by generating beliefs, values, or the vision (if it’s available)
5. Use the worksheet or generate in the session WRITTEN responses to
a. list who their internal and external customers and stakeholders are (who we serve)
b. list their needs and expectations, and the purpose they can fulfill in meeting those needs (what is our
purpose)
c. list how that purpose can be achieved (process)
i. methods, approaches
ii. goals and features unique to the group
iii. products/services, technology
iv. concern for growth, survival, philosophy
6. Using round-robin method, ask each participant to read one thing they’ve written down about each of the above
categories. Record on flip chart paper.
a. Discuss ideas, record discussion
7. Stickie puke brainstorming: each participant writes a word or phrase – BIG – on a 2 x 4 yellow stickie and places it
on one of 4 flip chart pages on the wall (5th parking lot page may be necessary)
a. Who do we serve?
b. What is our purpose? What do we hope to accomplish?
c. How do we intend to achieve our purpose?
d. What are our beliefs and our core values? Who are we?
8. CCC – combine, clarify, and condense
a. have participants go around and read the stickies (gallery)
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b. facilitators begin at first flip chart page, read each stickie, clarify any words or phrases that need it, put
duplicates together, change locations if necessary
c. discuss overall perceptions in each area, add anything that’s missing
9. Distribute sample mission statements from like organizations to provide additional terms and descriptions
a. round-robin one more time: see if any words need to be added to the flip charts
b. make sure that everyone has SOMETHING up there that they contributed
10. Soak in/process what they’ve done. Go on a break.
a. record on laptop everything on flipcharts (laptop/projector)
b. re-write themes during the break
c. organize ideas, words, phrases on the flip charts
11. Nominal group technique – voting on language for the statement
a. each person gets 5 stickies to indicate their preferences/priorities
b. they go up and put the stickies on the words or phrases in each category that they feel most strongly about
c. check language for:
i. readability
ii. optimism
iii. certainty
iv. assertiveness, competitiveness
v. inspiration
vi. clarity
d. tally votes – rewrite top ones on new flipchart
i. start with these words or phrases in the template
ii. whiteboard/laptop helps
iii. construct statement using the template as a starting point to make sure the 3 main components are
there
12. Check criteria (more than below) – mission statements should arouse one’s feelings and emotions for the program,
assures that the program is successful, knows where it’s going, and is worthy of support and investment. It includes
all the components, but is also inspiring and motivating. Effective missions help satisfy people’s needs to produce
something worthwhile, gain recognition, help others, earn respect. Use words that describe the feelings that you
want to be communicated.
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a. optimism – goals are large, but achievable
b. certainty – impressions of resoluteness, completeness, commitment
c. assertiveness – competitive,
d. inspiration – visionary, far reaching
e. concreteness – recognition of external influences, explicitness, and clarity
f.
one purpose – 1 or two sentences only.
13. Clarify and ensure shared understanding of all key terms/words
14. Draft statement. Break for incubation.
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