Most of us are aware of the value of being focused and purposeful in what we do, but how many of us have taken the extra step to articulate a mission statement for our work? Having a professional mission statement will boost effectiveness and impact, and for we 50+ veterans, it’s probably not that difficult to identify what it is.

A professional mission statement answers the question, “What am I here to do?”

The answer is likely to be different from what appears in a job description or fits a given job, in that it draws on values and sense of purpose that run deeper and show up in many parts of your career.  The answer can refer to what you contribute (“I bring social justice to health care delivery”) and/or to how you work (“I work with passion and integrity in everything I undertake”).  It can serve as a reminder to keep you on track (“I provide consistently high quality service”) or it may point you toward your highest professional standards (“Success is the only option.”).

Constructing a professional mission statement

There are several entry points for identifying your mission statement. It’s often useful to choose more than one and see if you end up at the same point with each.

• Read your career history. Trace through your career, looking for what gave you the greatest satisfaction. What happened, and what did you contribute to making it happen? When you have a list of at least five, look for the common threads between them. Do they represent instances of you showing leadership, creativity, people skills, or an original perspective? Was the outcome important, and if so, what was it about the outcome?
• Return to yourself as a child. Perhaps you’ve saved some writing you did as a child, maybe a school assignment about “What I want to be when I grow up”. If you don’t have those mementos, go back to a particular age and imagine yourself answering the question. Seeds can often be found in very young minds about interests or talents or values. For instance you may have wanted to be a doctor. Even if that hasn’t been your chosen career path there may be a strong current of scientific curiosity about how things work that runs throughout your career.
• Plan your retirement party. This is your chance to imagine the roast you’d like to have! What are the comments people make, acknowledgements of your accomplishments, your professional standards or your personality that give you the most satisfaction? If you could be recognized for anything within the repertoire of who you are and what you contribute, what would you most like to hear? A senior health care researcher I know actually had a retirement roast and heard herself described as a maverick. Her pleasure at hearing that description led her to recognize that her mission throughout her career had been to remain outside conventional categorizations and bring a uniquely multifaceted perspective to her research.
• Putting it all together. First, decide whether a Gold Standard mission statement – one that sets the bar high - or a directional mission statement – one that keeps you on track – suits you better. Then look for the essence or common threads from the exercises above and craft them into a first-draft statement.

A mission with an impact

Some mission statements aren’t complete until they include reference to “for whom” or “so that…”  You may have identified what your contribution or standard of performance is, but adding the intended result allows you to track the alignment of your endeavors with your mission. For instance, “I make technology more user-friendly for entrepreneurs” would become more trackable as “I make technology more user-friendly so that entrepreneurs can improve their business’ performance.”

Two final suggestions

• A mission statement should THINK BIG, in your terms. It’s not a place for modesty. It’s a place for heroes, according to William James’ definition of a hero: someone who acts as if what he or she does makes a difference.
• A mission statement must be succinct and memorable. You must be able to say it to yourself daily, or as needed, and even fit it on a post-it on your computer monitor.