The term “mission” is thrown around the business world often. Many businesses and organizations have one, but don’t even know it, or don’t follow it. However, if you define your mission and stay true to it, it can make a significant difference in your success.

What is a mission statement? It answers these four questions:

• What do we do?
• Why do we do it?
• Who are we that are doing it?
• Who are we doing it for?

We’ve talked about visioning before, but the two are different. As ZingTrain describes it, a vision is a “much longer detailed description of success at a particular point in time in the future.” Visions end, but a mission is like your North Star. We never get there, but the mission gives direction.

Without a mission statement, you can go through the motions, working hard each day, but have a difficult time deciding what to really do. We all want purpose and to know what direction we’re going.

If you have a mission, are you living by it and have you shared it with your team? If you don’t have a mission, now is your chance to create one.

Learn more about creating your mission statement at www.zingtrain.com/blog/whymission-statements-matter.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s August 2021 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.