Any organization is created in order to carry out some tasks. If we are talking about a commercial structure, then its main purpose is to make a profit, if we are talking about a charitable organization, then it is created in order to help those who require protection and guardianship. However, in order for employees and management to be more clearly aware of what and why they are doing, a mission is needed. We will tell you in this article what it is and how to correctly compose a mission and goals.

The mission and goals of the organization are the program provisions on which all its activities are based. The mission is the most general description of what the company was created for, what task it is designed to solve. At the same time, it should be noted that making a profit cannot be the company's mission - it must be broader and show how the company can be useful to society. There is no contradiction in this, because, in the end, only by being somehow useful and in demand can a company count on the fact that its products will be bought, and hence making a profit. In order to better understand what a mission is, here are examples of the missions of well-known companies:

The mission of the Lukoil company is to turn the energy of nature for the benefit of people

McDonalds - Providing fast and quality service with standard products

Microsoft's mission is to help people and businesses reach their full potential through digital technology.

The mission of Walt Disney Studios is to make people happy.

It is worth making a clear distinction between concepts such as the mission and purpose of the organization. If the mission is the most general description of the reason for the existence of the organization, then the goal is a clear description of the tasks that must be completed in order to make the mission a reality. can be short-term and long-term, as well as change in the course of its activities, while the mission remains unchanged throughout the entire period of the company's activities. Thus, the mission and goals of the enterprise represent a single whole philosophical core of its activity - the mission answers the question "why is our company needed?", and the goals answer the question "what needs to be done in order to fulfill the mission and, accordingly, justify its existence ? Only with such a core will the company carry out its activities effectively and methodically.

Certain requirements are put forward for the mission and goals:

The company's mission is its statement to the society; accordingly, it should be created with an eye on the external audience - consumers, competitors, regulators. The mission must necessarily show that the company is useful, moreover, it is necessary for society.

The goals of the company, on the contrary, are directed inward - at the employees, and outline in front of them what the company should achieve with their help in the short and long term. Therefore, if the mission can be somewhat vague, then the goals should be as clear and understandable as possible - this way they will be easier to perceive by employees, which means they will be implemented faster and more efficiently.

Unfortunately, the leaders of most companies have not yet realized that a well-written mission and goals of the organization will help them make their work easier and more efficient, and most importantly, result-oriented, so only some companies in the CIS countries have goals and, moreover, missions. I would like to hope that over time they will understand that the mission and goals are not just beautiful words, but an important tool for doing business.

We hope that this article has helped our readers to understand what the mission and goals of the organization are and how important they are for its successful operation. Good luck in business!

Strategic planning is characterized in the same way as planning, with the only difference that the decision-making process is based on a clearly formulated strategy and strategic goals for the functioning and development of the organization. As a process, strategic planning can be built into a specific technological chain, schematically shown in Fig. 4.1.

Rice. 4.1 - Technology of the strategic planning process

Strategic planning starts with development mission of the organization.

Mission - it is the purpose and raison d'être of the organization for its owners and employees, customers and business partners, the environment and society as a whole. The mission reveals the difference between the organization and similar ones, and this difference is then formed and implemented in the strategy of its functioning and development.

The mission should reflect the following characteristics of the organization:

Targets, i.e. what the organization's activities are aimed at and what it aspires to in its long term;

The scope and market in which the organization sells its product;

The philosophy of the organization as expressed in the values ​​and beliefs it adopts.

These characteristics form the image of the organization, its organizational culture and ability to survive in a competitive environment.

The mission gives the subjects of the internal and external environment a general idea of ​​the organization, what it is striving for, what means it is ready to use; contributes to the internal unity of the organization and the formation of its corporate spirit; creates an opportunity for more effective management of the organization, since it is the basis for setting its goals and strategies, the distribution of its resources; reveals to the employees of the organization the meaning and content of their activities.

Below is one example of the mission statement of the American company Sun Banks.

“The company's mission is to contribute to the economic development and well-being of the communities served by the company by providing citizens and businesses with quality banking services in a manner and to such an extent that it meets high professional and ethical standards of providing fair and appropriate returns to the company's shareholders and fair treatment of the company's employees. ".

And here is how the mission of the department of a higher educational institution that produces managers can be formulated: “Our mission is to fill the gap in the training of managerial personnel for enterprises that manufacture products or work in the service sector, formed by the change in management functions in the developing system of market - competitive relations, through the introduction of educational technologies that ensure continuous creative and practical development, which are the guarantor of getting graduates a decent job and adequate financial remuneration, as well as creating an infrastructure for continuous business education and management consulting, in which not only the staff of the department, students and its graduates, as well as a society of business people.


Many leaders do not burden themselves with the development and formulation of the mission of the organization, considering it obvious to themselves. Often, the mission is understood as the need to make a profit, which is rather an internal problem of organizations. Henry Ford, well aware of the importance of profit, defined the mission of the Ford company as providing cheap transportation to society, believing that with such a formulation, profit would hardly pass by.

At one time, American railroads were unable to remain highly competitive and profitable, because the management of these companies defined their mission in terms of rail, not transportation.

A completely different example of mission-building in the transportation business comes from the name of a Yale student. The mission of the organization, formulated by him in the 60s. in the thesis, it sounded like ensuring the delivery of small parcels and parcels across the country within a day. Since the realization of such a mission could only be achieved through the creation of airlines, the cost of transportation increased by 40 times.

Could there be any future hope of a successful business with such a mission statement and direct competition with such powerful companies at the time as UPS and the American Postal Service? However, the author of that "strange" work, Frederick W. Smith, in the mission he formulated, intuitively foresaw the needs of society for the rapid delivery of small parcels. In the short period after he created the Federal Express Corporation, it brought in $600 million a year, and the president in the very first year of managing this company had a salary of $58 million. in year

The mission of the organization must be commensurate with its size. When applied to small businesses, it should be realistic and will not be a mistake if the mission of a small organization as a supplier fits into the mission of a larger parent company.

The formulation of the mission, and, consequently, strategic behavior, is strongly influenced by the value orientations of top management (theoretical, economic, political, social, aesthetic and religious). A well-known specialist in the field of strategic planning, I. Ansof, states: “... behavior is not free from the influence of value orientations; both individuals and organizations show a preference for certain types of strategic behavior, even if this means losses in terms of results.

"To work for a better life, a better world for all" is the slogan of the Japanese corporation Omron. "We don't sell our products, we meet the needs of society." However, it must be remembered that behind the shiny facade of the company, from the eyes of the uninitiated, such priorities as survival, growth and development are hidden in the name of the main motivating factor - profit.

The mission is also identified with such a concept as "corporate credo". Credo means belief, views, fundamentals of the worldview. The corporate credo consists of the main strategic goal and value system of the corporation, which includes the interests of the main communication groups of external and internal environments, which include consumers whose needs the organization seeks to satisfy through the production and marketing of its products and services, suppliers of all types of resources, shareholders and investors ; employees of the organization, contact audiences, including the whole society as the general public.

In addition, the interpretation of the mission in the broad and narrow senses is possible.

Mission in a broad sense is a formulated philosophy, mission and reason for the existence of the organization. Philosophy determines the values ​​and principles of the behavior of the team in production, economic, financial, economic, marketing, communication and other activities in selected markets.

The purpose allows you to form the type of organization (commercial, non-commercial, state or municipal unitary) and develop specific activities that the management system plans to implement to translate philosophical ideas and ideas into the reality of market relations in a long-term period of existence of at least five years.

Mission in the narrow sense- this is the formulated reason for the creation and activities of the organization. In other words, the mission is considered as a statement that reveals the meaning of the organization's existence and contains features that distinguish this organization from similar ones positioned on the same market of consumers of products and services.

The difference between these interpretations lies in the fact that in the first case, although the general philosophical meaning is reflected, the distinctive features of the organization, the degree of its uniqueness in the industry and territorial markets in comparison with competitors are more specifically characterized.

The question of developing a Company Mission is increasingly common among Russian enterprises. Owners and managers are beginning to realize that "hard" management tools - KPI and budgeting, time tracking and reporting control, position profiling and assessment of their presence on a lie detector and through numerous tests, etc., etc. - do not allow fully create a company of like-minded people with a strong corporate culture. People, if they do not share your values, will always find loopholes to get around all the fences and gadgets of your smart control system.

Only engaged and committed employees are ready to work to the maximum of their capabilities without external additional incentives and restrictions.

The Mission and Values ​​of the company is just the tool that allows you to identify "ours" at the start, and stick to the right course in work without expensive systems of sticks and gingerbread.

Below I offer a list of 50 missions of well-known companies, on the basis of which you can formulate your own.

(!!!)Warning: DEVELOPING A MISSION WITHOUT COMPANY EMPLOYEES IS HARMFUL

so let's go!

Google: "Organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

Facebook: "Give people the opportunity to connect and make the world more open and connected."

Kodak: "We help the world create memories and make money."

Yandex: "To help people solve problems and achieve their goals in life."

Disneyland: "We work to ensure that adults and children spend more time together."

Castorama: "We help buyers make their homes better and more comfortable, transform the time-consuming and costly process of repair and furnishing into an interesting, accessible hobby for everyone."

The Ritz-Carlton: "Relentless care and comfort for every guest."

Mary Kay: "To brighten the lives of women around the world by providing quality products to customers, opening new horizons for independent beauty consultants and providing them with unlimited career opportunities, doing everything to ensure that women who encounter Mary Kay can fulfill themselves."

IKEA: "Changing the daily lives of ordinary people for the better."

XEROX: "Sharing Knowledge Through Documents".

The Bank of New York: "We strive to be recognized as the global leader and partner of choice in helping our clients succeed in a world of rapidly evolving financial markets."

Harley-Davidson: "We make people's dreams come true with our experience building the very best motorcycles."

Apple: “Apple makes Macs the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple continues the digital music revolution with its iPod and iTunes. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store and is shaping the future of mobile media and computing with the iPad."

Zappos: "Provide the best customer service possible."

Amazon: "To be 'the most customer-conscious company on Earth'."

Samsung: "We use the company's human and technological resources to create products and services of superior quality, thereby contributing to the improvement of the global state of society."

Twitter: "Give everyone the opportunity to exchange ideas and information instantly, without barriers."

Sberbank: "We give people confidence and reliability, we make their lives better by helping them realize their aspirations and dreams."

Enter: “We give time for the present. Honestly. With love. As for myself."

Citibank: “Citi works tirelessly for the benefit of citizens, communities, organizations and nations. With over 200 years of global experience in tackling the toughest challenges and realizing opportunities, we strive to deliver the best value for our clients through simple, creative and responsible financial solutions. We connect over 1,000 cities, 160 countries and millions of people. We are your global bank. We are Citi.

Best Friends Animal Society: "Better world through kindness to animals."

JTI Tobacco Company: "Our mission is to build a strong international tobacco company that delivers maximum value to its shareholders, employees, consumers and society as a whole and strives to be a leader in its industry."

New York Public Library: "Inspire Lifelong Learning, Spreading Knowledge, and Strengthening Our Society."

Walmart: "We save people money so they can live better."

McDonald's: "To be our customers' favorite place to eat or drink. And the formula for achieving this goal is one long-standing McDonald's formula: KKCH and D, which means Quality, Service Culture, Cleanliness and Accessibility.

BMW: "The BMW Group is the world's leading provider of premium products and premium services for individual mobility."

Valio: "To feel good."

Lukoil: "We were created to turn the energy of natural resources for the benefit of man."

Polaroid: "Improving the instant photography and digital market to meet the growing need for people to capture the faces of friends and family, places dear to their hearts, and funny moments in life."

Daria: "Free up consumers' time for a fulfilling life by producing high-quality, easy-to-prepare products."

Levi-Strauss: “We will bring to market the most beautiful and popular casual wear in the world. We will dress the whole world."

Toyota: “Let our customers feel the pleasure of high-quality Toyota vehicles. We are responsible for every vehicle we sell. We create an environment in which Toyota professionals use their years of experience and knowledge of advanced Toyota technology to meet the needs of our discerning customers. The mission of the Company is to maximize customer satisfaction by providing reliable and safe TOYOTA products and providing a network of high-quality service and qualified service.”

Gazprom: OAO Gazprom Gazenergoset, as a specialized operator of OAO Gazprom, sees its mission in ensuring efficient uninterrupted supplies of products from gas and oil refineries of the Gazprom Group to consumers, while maintaining a high level of safety and consistently developing the types of activities, associated with the sale and use of this product.

Sportmaster: “We make sports accessible! To develop a successful and efficient business by offering our Clients the optimal range of quality products for sports and outdoor activities with the optimal level of service. Contribute to the improvement of the population in the countries of our presence, promoting the values ​​of a healthy lifestyle, sports and active recreation, improving the quality of life of our customers.”

ChTPZ-KTS: "Comprehensive satisfaction of the needs of builders and operators of main and technological pipelines in fittings, pipeline fittings, process equipment and other components."

Adidas: “Our mission is to be the world's leading sports brand. We achieve leadership through our vision - our passion for sport makes the world a better place. All our work is inspired by the passion for sport that drives us to improve ourselves and the world around us.”

Sony Corporation: "We are a group of young people who are endowed with enough energy for an endless creative quest."

Unilever: “Our mission is to energize life. We meet people's daily needs for food and hygiene. Our brands help you feel great, look great and enjoy life more.”

Coca-Cola is based on 3 principles, which are formed as follows: Refresh the world, body, mind and spirit; Awaken optimism through our drinks and our deeds; Bring meaning to everything we do. Our vision of tasks is based on five words that reflect our values! Each of them is based on a word that - coincidentally - begins with the letter "P". This is what the five P's sound like: People, Planet, Products, Partners, Profits!

MegaFon: MegaFon will unite Russia by breaking down barriers and developing communications to become the obvious choice for everyone. MegaFon proceeds from a special attitude to the company's social mission, which is to create conditions for people to communicate, without regard to borders and distances.

Microsoft: “Microsoft's mission is to help people and businesses around the world reach their full potential. Achieving this goal requires talented, energetic, bright and creative people with the following virtues: integrity and honesty, enthusiasm, openness and respect, willingness to solve complex problems, self-criticism and responsibility.

The mission of Youtube video hosting is "To provide quick and easy video access and the ability to share videos frequently."

Lenovo (Lenovo): “For those who do! For those who do! (as an option, "For those who act!"). Our vision is that Lenovo will create personal devices that inspire more people, inspired by our own culture, and through which we build a business respected around the world. This Vision guides us on our mission to become one of the world's greatest technology companies. We will accomplish this through: Personal Computers, Convergence and Culture."

MTS: “We are working to make MTS the best operator for our customers. We want every person who comes to the MTS salon, calls our call center, uses the company's services, to like being an MTS client. Thanks to reliable communication, MTS provides customers with the opportunity to build and improve their lives, to constantly develop. All MTS resources are aimed at making the life of MTS customers richer, more interesting and filled with new opportunities thanks to the company's services.”

RZD (Russian Railways) is to meet the market demand for transportation, improve performance, improve the quality of services and deep integration into the Euro-Asian transport system. RZD brand mission: We are the most important part of the global system for the movement of people, goods and technologies. We work for clients, we contribute to the unification of peoples, we integrate Russia into a single economic space. Our solutions are based on a unique infrastructure, the skills of a team of high-level professionals and innovative technologies.

Aeroflot: “We are working to ensure that our customers can quickly and comfortably cover huge distances, which means they can be mobile, meet more often, work successfully and see the world in all its diversity. Vision: Our goal is to remain the undisputed leader in domestic and international air transportation in Russia and be among the best airlines in the world, combining dynamic development and high reliability with quality service.”

Nike: “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world” (“If you have a body, then you are an athlete,” said the legendary track and field coach of the University of Oregon, and co-founder of Nike, Bill Bowerman) ".

Yota: "To be the leading developer and provider of innovative mobile services that will change the way people think and experience in the field of communication, entertainment and information consumption, even one iota."

Svyaznoy: “We work with people and for people. We create an exciting world of mobile communications and new offers that are understandable and accessible to everyone. We provide simplicity, convenience and attractive choice.”

Canon is committed to helping people realize the full potential of the image (Power of Image). The European brand slogan You Can ("You can") was launched in 2002 and aims to inspire customers to realize the potential of the image.

Mission Development Algorithm

The development of the Mission takes place according to the following algorithm:

Formulating the meaning of the existence of the organization (for what?);

Formulating "messages" for each group of stakeholders (customers, staff, owners, partners);

Comprehension of the above and combining in one or three capacious sentences, taking into account the meanings of all phrases as much as possible.

Staff involvement

It is important not only to formulate the Mission and Values ​​beautifully, but to do it in a management team, and then discuss it together with all employees (some companies immediately involve the entire staff in the development of the Mission).

To do this, you can use the following order:

Send out 50 Missions of Famous Companies to your team for a preview.

Get together for 3-4 hours and answer the questions: “what is the meaning of the company’s existence?”, “what needs of society (target groups) was it created to meet?”, “what do we want to convey to our customers, partners, employees, owners?” , "how do we differ from similar companies, competitors?"

Write the results of the brainstorming on separate A1 sheets and hang them in the meeting room. Have the team members look at the materials and think (each one separately) in which phrase you can combine all the accumulated meanings.

Then meet for another 3-4 hours and have everyone present their version.

Discuss (without criticism and ratings) options and vote for the most suitable for your company (2-3 options).

Finalize your selections and present them to the team.

Ask employees to give feedback on your achievements - “how accurately does this or that option reflect the essence of your company?”, “which option more accurately reflects the messages to customers, staff, partners and owners?”, “what important meanings were not reflected in the presented options?" etc.

Based on the feedback from employees, select the final version, design it and hang it in a prominent place in the company (stand, reception, etc.), place it on the company portal, website.

Ask HR to adjust the selection, motivation, training and development tools in accordance with the developed Mission and Values.

Make decisions based on this Mission and Values ​​and demand the same from your colleagues. Otherwise, everything is in vain.

  • Corporate culture

Keywords:

1 -1

That is, the mission is understood as a statement that reveals the meaning of the organization's existence, in which the difference between this organization and similar ones is manifested.

Typically, the definition of the mission of the organization pursues the solution of the following tasks:

  • identify the area of ​​active actions of the organization and cut off the development paths that lead nowhere;
  • determine the basic principles of competition;
  • develop a common basis for developing the goals of the organization;
  • develop a concept of activity that inspires the employees of the organization.

Mission objectives is a vision of what an organization should be or stand for. They should reflect the interests of all groups of influence or various groups of people, one way or another connected with the activities of the organization and involved in the process of its functioning (owners, managers, employees and workers, consumers, suppliers, banks, government agencies, local governments, public organizations, etc.).

When developing a mission, the following groups of factors are taken into account:
  1. The history of the emergence and development of the organization, its traditions, achievements and failures, the current image.
  2. Existing style of behavior and way of action of owners and managers.
  3. Resources, i.e. everything that an organization can manage: cash, recognized product brands, unique technologies, employee talent, etc.
  4. , representing the totality of all factors that affect the organization's ability to achieve its goals with the help of selected strategies.
  5. Distinguishing characteristics of the organization.

For example, the mission of the Marriott Hotel Company is formulated as follows: "We strive to be the best in the world in providing accommodation and food for our customers by encouraging staff to provide customers with extraordinary services and to protect the interests of shareholders."

Following the above rules is a very difficult task. This is one of the main reasons why not all organizations have well-defined missions, and some simply do not have them.

Organization goals

The main initial base for the formation of the goals of the organization - and innovation. It is in these areas that the values ​​of the organization are located, for which the consumer is willing to pay. If an organization is not able to meet the needs of consumers at a good level today and tomorrow, then it will not have a profit. In other areas of activity (production, personnel, etc.), goals are valuable only to the extent that they improve the organization's ability to meet customer needs and implement innovations (innovations).

There are six types of goals:

  1. Achievement of certain indicator values market share.
  2. Innovation Goals. Without the development and delivery of new services, an organization can very quickly be knocked out by competitors. An example of this type of goal would be: 50% of sales should come from products and services introduced in the last five years.
  3. Resource goals characterize the organization's desire to attract the most valuable resources: qualified employees, capital, modern equipment. These goals are marketing in nature. Thus, organizations compete to attract the most capable university graduates, retailers compete for the best location of outlets. As a result, the achievement of such results creates the prerequisites for the implementation of other tasks.
  4. Performance Improvement Goals. When personnel, capital and production and technical potential are not used efficiently enough, then the needs of consumers will not be satisfied enough, or this will be achieved through excessive expenditure of resources.
  5. Social Goals are aimed at reducing the negative impact on the natural environment, at helping society in solving problems of employment, in the field of education, etc.
  6. Purpose of obtaining a certain profit can only be established after formulating previous goals. is something that can help raise capital and encourage owners to share the risk. Profit is therefore better seen as more of a restrictive goal. The minimum profitability is necessary for the survival and development of the business.

Organization and Marketing Performance Indicators

The definition of activity goals and their evaluation are directly related to the choice of appropriate ones.

Very often, such an indicator is considered. In doing so, it is assumed that profit maximization is the main goal of the organization.

The following arguments are usually given in support of this view:
  1. Profit maximization is the formal goal for which an organization exists. The one who has invested is not interested in specific projects, but in profit.
  2. Profit is the ultimate reward for working efficiently and creating value for consumers.
  3. Profit is a simple and understandable criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of business decisions. This is the main criterion for choosing the best solutions.

When profit maximization is considered as the main and only goal of the organization's activity, then this approach should be considered simplified both from a theoretical and practical point of view. The organization seeks to achieve, rather than the maximum level of profit. Often this value of profit acts as a restrictive goal when formulating goals focused on consumers and innovations.

Profit maximization as an evaluation criterion when considering alternative strategies can be used as a first approximation in finding the best solutions. Other criteria should be taken into account in the subsequent stage of the analysis.

The choice of the criterion for the effectiveness of the activities of a non-profit organization

First of all, it should be noted that along with organizations that live off their profits, there are also non-profit organizations. The choice of a school or a hospital as a criterion for the effectiveness of the activity contradicts the very idea of ​​​​creating such organizations. However, profit can be one of the indicators of the effectiveness of the self-supporting component in the activities of non-profit organizations.

Below we will only talk about organizations that live off their production and economic activities, which will be called companies.

Despite the predominant use of profit indicators to measure business success, they have certain disadvantages. First, in practice, profit indicators can be manipulated quite easily and simply by managers in order to obtain falsified results. A variety of and, moreover, completely legal methods of depreciation accounting for inventory valuation, accounting for research and development costs, foreign currency transfers, and in particular many options for registering new acquisitions, can turn losses on individual accounting items into large reporting profits and vice versa.

Of course, companies that care about creating and maintaining a favorable image, first of all, proclaim missions that have a social sound and have a high attractive force for all groups of the company, and above all for its managers and employees. Without this, it is difficult to use such an important management tool as (corporate culture). True, there is an opinion that the goals of the mission belong to the category of the so-called declared goals, "working for the public," and among the hidden, undeclared goals, the goal is to make a profit.

To a certain extent, this contradiction can be overcome if the company's goals are connected with the goals. Since the marketing plan directly sets the task of selling certain products in selected markets, the goal of such activities is to achieve the planned indicators of sales volume, profit, market share. At the same time, the priorities and values ​​of these indicators depend on the development goals of the company as a whole. Thus, the profit indicator naturally fits into the goals of the marketing plan, and the achievement of certain results contributes to the achievement of the company's more general goals.

Today, a company is required to be able to choose a multi-purpose perspective for itself and satisfy the needs of a wide variety of interest groups. The main task of the company's management is to reconcile these dissimilar and in many ways conflicting interests. Within a well-balanced company, the reconciliation of these interests is usually not difficult. One reason is that influence groups generally do not seek to maximize their interests, instead they just hope to get a satisfying result. In fact, leaders operate in the zone of tolerance. tolerance zone- this is the area of ​​effective functioning, within which the company satisfies the interests of all its key influence groups.

The second most important indicator after profit for many companies it is growth, turnover or value of assets. Some executives believe that there is a relationship between company size and marginal profitability. Until a company becomes a major player, they argue, it will be vulnerable to stronger competitors. Others point to a link between the size of a company and the pay of its executives.

Therefore, the multidimensional, rather than focused on 1-2 indicators, nature of determining the goals of the company's activities is becoming more widespread. As a result of this methodological reorientation, a multi-criteria approach to evaluating the performance of companies is becoming more and more widely used. Thus, Forbes magazine uses a ranking system for the top 500 US companies, which includes the following evaluation criteria: the average level of profitability over the past 5 years (their total market value and return on invested capital), sales growth rates, stock returns, as well as absolute values ​​of sales volumes , net income and profit share in the price for the last year.

There are many interpretations of the concept corporate mission- the meaning of existence, the main goal of activity; some higher purpose; expression of the social significance of the activity; the role the company intends to play in the market; high-quality filling of the business, an attempt by a businessman to find the meaning of his professional activity; substantiation of non-financial goals of the organization.

We dare to add our own definition of mission to this collection.

  • Mission (organization, project, institution etc.) - an expression of one's ability and intentions to satisfy or create socially significant and ethically acceptable needs (requests) of humanity, groups of people (territories, states, peoples, communities, enterprises) and individuals.

And if we get rid of unnecessary complexity, let's say even simpler:

  • COMPANY MISSION- this is the social benefit that the company intends to bring (or already brings) to others.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CORPORATE MISSION

 The mission shows how the company's products (goods, services, relationships) form and enhance qualitative changes in the everyday life of the consumer and in the worldview of society.

That is, the mission should be directed outward, to society, outside the company, and not to the company and its stakeholders. This is the main criterion for understanding whether the mission is before your eyes or an attempt to justify the purely material interests of business. A vivid negative example of this is the missions of today's Russian banks and insurance companies, most of which have simply forgotten about the interests of the client.

The goals of the mission of modern Russian business acceptable to society can be:

  • formation of a new quality of life, summarizing the consumer properties of the company's products;
  • the desire to improve the already formed quality of life and expand its distribution;
  • creation of values ​​of a higher level of significance for society than the resources spent;
  • qualitative changes in the company itself, as a result of the emergence and mobilization of additional resources and a new attitude to the world;
  • growth of the company's adaptation to market requirements and its integration into the global community.
Pretty words about profits and dividends or a blatant desire to be a market leader are questionable for the public good and not so modest as to get into the mission statement. There are other, more ambitious documents for them.

There are many opinions about what should be the content of the mission of the organization.
The so-called four-pronged approach involves taking into account the following aspects in the mission statement:

  • market (products, strategies, competition, enterprise goals, markets),
  • social (taking into account the interests of business participants, social groups, references to corporate philosophy, culture),
  • private (business success from the point of view of the personal interests of the owners),
  • qualitative (the desire of business to change the conditions, the quality of life of society, the properties of the social environment).
In our opinion, a well-formulated mission of the organization should reflect precisely the qualitative aspect.
Another approach advises taking into account the main strategic goals facing any company in any market, and voicing business priorities regarding each of them:
  • public (contribution to the local community, solving specific social problems),
  • consumer (satisfying customer requests, taking into account the needs of suppliers and partners),
  • administrative-territorial (satisfying the needs of a particular system in the structure of which the company operates),
  • entrepreneurial (meeting the needs of participants and co-owners).
From the point of view of NLP, the mission of the enterprise includes three logical levels: the purpose of the company, identification, company values.

And, for example, on the website of one domestic state university it is stated that "The content of the organization's mission is:
1) philosophy (basic views, principles and values, system of motives);
2) description of the field of activity, product of the organization;
3) goals of the organization (current and strategic);
4) characteristics of potential and technologies;
5) description of the internal concept, strengths of the organization, its competitive advantages, development prospects;
6) characteristics of the market where the organization operates;
7) description of the external image (image) of the organization".
It’s not clear whether to believe such things or smile.

According to which method your company will formulate a business mission is up to you. Let's add: contrary to some authors, we do not believe that the "Mission of the company" is a document, "the provisions of which must be fulfilled." You need to know the mission of the company, it is desirable to share it, be guided by it, follow it, but fulfill its provisions ..? It is difficult to agree that the mission is "a corporate ideology, the values ​​of which correspond to the company's employees, and the philosophy of which is reflected in their work" (the quote is real). A mission is just a mission.

A well-formulated mission of the organization does not need additional interpretations, additions, does not contain any nested, expanding its interpretations, provisions. It is a full-fledged, independent document, logically included in a set of documents under the general name “Company Ideology”.

MISSION DEVELOPMENT

Of course, it is hardly possible to “design” a mission. Recognize, articulate - yes. We agree that each legal entity has a purpose (mission, meaning of existence), regardless of the awareness of this. The process of realizing the mission can go gradually, or maybe explosively - by insight.

In the conditions of small and medium-sized businesses, the mission of the organization almost always contains energy, the philosophy of the owners, founders. Without their participation, a full-blooded mission rarely appears.

There are many approaches to mission development.

  • The mission is developed by the owner and top managers whom he trusts. As a result of the discussion, a certain common document is born, reflecting the different interests of the participants. When the “conspirators” reach consensus on all issues, the mission is presented to the team.
  • The "general" of the company considers many options for the formulation of the mission proposed by each employee. Further, the most fruitful thoughts are summarized in a single document and brought to perfection, often with the help of external consultants. The result is a mission born from the very depths of the team.
  • Exclusively the top management of the company, together with the owners through "brainstorming" (or similar) under the command of third-party consultants, “generate from themselves” a mission, which is later brought to the attention of employees.
  • A working group is formed from executives, specialists, non-standard-minded employees and with the obligatory participation of a coordinator-consultant. During the discussions, the group creates a draft document and submits it to the coordinator, who then, in the course of personal discussions with members of the working group, brings the document to a working state and submits it for approval.
  • The mission of the company is formulated personally by the business owner with the unobtrusive participation of an external consultant. The interests of all interested parties are taken into account.

    MISSION DESCRIPTION REQUIREMENTS

    • The mission of the enterprise really answers many questions (why? who? what? how? why? by what means? in the name of what?), but it does it as concisely, simply and concisely as possible.
    • The description of the mission should exclude the possibility of discrepancies, but at the same time leave room for creative and flexible development of the company.
    • Mission drafts can be of any size. The final text is 1-2-3 sentences. Such a brief mission of the enterprise is especially well understood, remembered and easily retold. However, if you like the smiles on the faces of your customers, you can paint the corporate mission on the page.
    • The simplicity of the mission lies in the logic of presentation. Do not make a verbal mess out of the text of the mission of the enterprise, do not introduce elements of vision, strategic goals, a detailed description of services, philosophy, description of areas of responsibility into the mission statement - all those provisions that should be separate, independent text documents.
    • The "Mission of the company" document should not begin with the words "The philosophy of the company is to ensure that its own goals and the long-term interests of society are aligned." Why mix everything in one heap? The text of the mission is not a place for the concepts of "vision", "goals", "objectives", "values", "politics", "principles", "philosophy", "strategy". For them - other documents.
    • From the text of the mission it should be clear without hints - what the business is doing (industry, direction of development, type of service) and why, why is it doing this.
    • Do not be afraid of beautiful text if it correctly conveys the concepts of the mission. Use rare, bright words and phrases, but avoid random unpleasant associations.
    • Reduce the distance, get closer to the consumer. Just call the company "We".
    • Do not mention material gain in the mission (with the exception of financial market players, banks). Earned money is not what your business will become famous for centuries.
    • Avoid the dominance of obscure terms, words and phrases worn to the point of meaninglessness, such as "customer focus", "social partnership", "maximum benefits at the lowest price", "mutually beneficial cooperation", "development and improvement of business", "we value our customers". Do not make competitors laugh with such platitudes.
    • Make the mission statement active-active, not passive-observant. The best business mission verb is present tense.
    • It doesn't matter that many corporate mission statements begin similarly: we do... we teach... we improve... we care... we help... we solve... we develop... we deliver... we improve... we we contribute.. we provide.. we feed.. we give.. we serve. The main difference is in the sense of the words that follow.
    • The mission statement of the company should not be fabulous, overstated, unrealistic, miserable, clumsy, forced, so as not to give rise to a smile and doubts in the sanity of its authors. Better - none than a ridiculous mission.
    • A competent mission text is like blank verse: full of meaning, elegant and laconic. Typos, misprints and missing punctuation marks in the organization's replicated mission are an indicator of its negligent attitude towards its own business and a severe blow to its image. Editing the mission text is a must.

      FORMULATE THE MISSION       companies, you can independently or with the help of specialists of the bureau PUNCTUATION MARKS.

      EXAMPLES OF MISSIONS OF RUSSIAN COMPANIES,

      formulated, from our point of view, very briefly, weightily and meaningfully.

      Mission of Gazprom– the most efficient and balanced gas supply to Russian consumers, the fulfillment of long-term gas export contracts with a high degree of reliability.

      The mission of the transport company Aeroflot is the most complete and safe provision of one of the fundamental human freedoms – freedom of movement.

      Mission of the group of companies GAS. To produce commercial vehicles that guarantee the customer the benefits of purchasing through uncompromising quality and reliable impeccable service, backed by the highest competence of personnel, partner suppliers, innovations in production and products.

      The mission of the brewing company Baltic. We create a quality product that gives people the joy of communication, makes their life brighter and more interesting.

      Mission MegaFon. MegaFon will unite Russia by breaking down barriers and developing communications to become the obvious choice for everyone.

      Bank mission(Rosselkhozbank). Providing affordable, high-quality and effective satisfaction of the needs of agricultural producers and the rural population of the Russian Federation in banking products and services, all-round assistance in the formation and functioning of a modern national credit and financial system of the agro-industrial sector of Russia, support for the development of the agro-industrial complex and rural areas of the Russian Federation.

      Russian Mission Insurance company– provide comprehensive protection, confidence and harmony in life for those who strive for the best!

      The mission of beauty salons and stylish clothes ELITE: We decorate people's lives, make important events in their lives more vivid and memorable, providing beautiful outfits for any holidays, celebrations and ceremonies, high-quality image and style creation services. Mission Creation Feedback

      Agency mission PRINT - to be a link between publishers and readers.

      Mission of the restaurant Indian Cuisine Orissa: to combine Indian cuisine - one of the most delicious and ancient - with European culture of service against the backdrop of interiors in the style of oriental palaces and baroque.

      The mission of the insurance company MOSCOW - to promote the growth of insurance coverage for every citizen of Russia, actively support the insurance coverage of domestic businesses, ensure the growth of the national economy, promote socio-economic development, ensure reliability, high quality services, and help strengthen the country's financial system.

      Mission of the hotel PUNICATION SIGNS (working version) - to provide high-quality, modern, comfortable accommodation that will help city guests to better appreciate the beauty, cultural and business activity of St. Petersburg.

      The mission of the construction company METALLLINE: We build modern residential and office buildings in Yekaterinburg - we create comfortable living and business conditions, thereby ensuring the economic development of the region, the company and the well-being of its employees.

      The mission of the stores Castorama is to help buyers make their homes more perfect and comfortable, transform the laborious and costly process of repair and improvement into an interesting hobby accessible to everyone.

      The mission of the stores TERVOLINA: Quality, comfortable shoes and excellent service - for every customer!

      The mission of the travel agency SOLAR SAIL - development of water tourism in the North-West region of Russia.

      Mission automotive factory URAL - meeting the needs of society in vehicles with a gross weight of 12 to 44 tons and creating conditions for maintaining the performance of vehicles during operation.

      Mission factory packaging products - to provide industrial enterprises in Russia and the CIS countries with modern packaging solutions, thereby contributing to their economic growth, as well as the development of the industrial packaging industry as a whole.

      Mission educational institutions(kindergarten KROHA) - creating conditions that reveal the individuality of the child and contribute to the formation of competencies that will ensure his success today and in the future.