Mission statements & SWOT

• What is a mission statement?

  A mission statement is a concise statement that describes the purpose and goals of an organization.
• What makes an effective one?

  1. Provide a clear sense of business purpose
  2. Excite, inspire, motivate and guide the audience
  3. easy to understand and remember
  4. differentiate from competitors
  5. be designed for all stakeholders
• Criticisms

  1. Aren’t always supported by actions of the business
  2. Often too vague and general
  3. Treated quite cynically by stakeholders
• SWOT - internal

  Strengths & Weaknesses
• SWOT - external 


  Opportunities & Threats
• Strengths

  Features within the control of a business that are a source of competitive advantage
• Weaknesses

  Features within the control of a business that are a source of competitive disadvantage
• Opportunitues

  Features of the external environment that create opportunities for a business to leverage its strengths and benefit the business
• Threats

  Features of the external environment that threaten the performance and position of a business if not addressed