Overview of Workplace Mission Statements

What you think of when you hear mission statements? Do you think that they are just formal statements? Mission statements are carefully crafted documents that guide agencies and other entities.

Your agency may have a mission statement, which may need to be revised at some point. Alternatively, you may lead a new agency that needs to create a mission statement.

Mission statements are brief statements that define and explain the goals, values, and purpose of agencies and other entities. They should be realistic, inspirational, and factual. The statements typically are just one sentence, but they can also be a paragraph or more. Mission statements do not necessarily have to include the word “mission.” However, to ensure that people know they are mission statements, you may want to have the statement underneath a “Mission Statement” title, heading, or subheading. Mission statements are not the same as vision statements.

Your agency should have only one mission statement per office, meaning the same office should not use different ones. However, your agency’s subagencies and departments can have their own mission statement. If the agency and any subentities each have a mission statement, theirs should be harmonious with one another. You should always use the same mission statement, unless your agency decides to revise it.

An example of an agency and one its offices establishing their own mission statements is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS’s Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP). The mission statement of HHS states:

“The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.”

Meanwhile, the mission statement of OIDP states:

“The mission of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) is to provide strategic leadership and management, while encouraging collaboration, coordination, and innovation among federal agencies and stakeholders to reduce the burden of infectious diseases.”

Overall, the purposes of mission statements include:

• Inspiring work and providing guidance on future directions.
• Keeping your employees on track.
• Motivating your employees to work towards your agency’s fundamental goals.
• Encouraging critical thinking.
• Giving a brief synopsis of your agency that can help build valuable working relationships.

Mission statements may be used in a variety of ways. Agencies may publicize their mission statements by placing them in their own materials, including websites, annual reports, newsletters, bulletins, training materials, and other publications. They also may need to include their mission statements in forms, such as documents to reserve rooms for events.

Mission statements are valuable. They need to be written with care and used. Learn more about how to write mission statements in my next piece, titled “How to Write and Implement Workplace Mission Statements.”

Miriam Edelman, MPA, MSSW, is a Washington, D.C.-based policy professional. Her experience includes policy work for Congress. Miriam’s undergraduate degree is from Barnard College, Columbia University, with majors in political science and urban studies. She has a master’s in public administration from Cornell University, where she was inducted into the national honorary society for public administration. She has a master’s of science in social work (focusing on policy) from Columbia University. She is a commissioner of the DC Commission on Persons with Disabilities. Miriam aims to continue her career in public service. She is especially interested in democracy, civic education, District of Columbia autonomy, diversity, health policy, women’s issues, and disabilities.

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