Team Mission Statement: How to Create a Team Statement

A team mission statement is a concise statement that details a team’s purpose. The message reflects the group’s goals and ethos. A team mission statement shares similarities to a company’s mission statement, though the former has a more focused scope.

Having a written-out statement benefits a team because:

1. 1. Team mission statements convey information to potential employees. Hiring managers can point to the team mission statement when interviewing potential employees. It concisely conveys what your team aims to accomplish and the vision and goals you base your work around. A potential employee may find these insights appealing. For example, they may feel motivated to join your team because they see open communication as one of your team’s values.
2. 2. Team mission statements create a cohesive direction. To create a team mission statement from scratch, team members must discuss the group’s purpose. This sets a singular direction for the entire team.
3. 3. Team mission statements guide workers in times of turmoil. During uncertain times or moments of discord, a team mission statement can serve as a reminder of what matters most to a team.
4. 4. Team mission statements set a standard of excellence. With a team mission statement in place, team members have a set standard to follow. Team members can measure their work against the standard the message sets.

There are a few differences between a team mission statement, a company mission statement, and even a vision statement. Here’s how to tell the difference between often confused statements:

1. 1. Team mission statements are more targeted. A company mission statement speaks to the company’s product and core values. A team mission statement has a more narrow scope since it only breaks down the team’s missions and goals.
2. 2. A company mission statement creates a pathway. A company's mission statement aims to give a targeted message about the product or service it creates and why it matters. Company mission statements encompass the whole concept of the business instead of one segment.
3. 3. A vision statement is an idealistic observation. While team mission statements and company mission statements draw from reality, a vision statement describes an imaginary future. It speaks to where the company hopes to be in the future and how the company imagines the world will interact with its product.

To create a team mission statement, you must understand your audience and company culture. Follow these steps to create a team mission statement:

1. 1. Determine your team’s purpose. You should clearly state your team’s purpose. Understand why the group exists and what work you need to do to reach your goals. For example, if your department aims to positively impact the sustainable energy industry, your team mission statement should specifically speak about that.
2. 2. Understand your audience. Think about who will read your mission statement. While you will mostly use the description to keep your team aligned, a company might use the statement to attract new employees or donations from stakeholders. Recognize who may read this statement so you know what information to include.
   
3. 3. Think about the company’s long-term goals. Though your team may have several short-term creative projects under development, your mission statement should revolve around your long-term goals and how they ladder up to the company’s goals.
4. 4. Look at the company’s mission statement. Before you write a team mission statement, look at the company’s mission statement, so it can fall in line with the company mission and core values. Additionally, look at examples of mission statements from teams at other companies if you want a better handle of wording and tone.
5. 5. Be clear and succinct. A good mission statement is short but clear. For example, you could write that your team aims to heal the human spirit with superior health care services. However, that’s a vague statement that does not speak on the role you plan to play. Instead, you could add that through patient and diligent customer service, your team intends to change people’s perspective of health care providers.
6. 6. Review your work. Before you finalize your statement, take some time to edit. Review the statement and cut out redundancies and unclear portions. Then, ask people from your team and other teams to read it over. They may catch something you or your team overlooked, and they can confirm whether the message works.
7. 7. Share your new mission statement widely. Share the message with your coworkers and even hang a copy in the office. Display it on your company’s website in a section that speaks about company values or the company spirit.
8. 8. Update it regularly. Sometimes short- and long-term goals shift. Review your team mission statement annually to ensure it still accurately reflects the important work you and your team do.

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