Supplementary Materials
Mission Statement Lecture Slides
Sample Mission Statements
Sample Mission Statements Lecture Slides

Mission Statement

The team leader facilitates the team in the creation of the mission statement, which is periodically reviewed by the team to make any revisions deemed necessary. Use the mission statement and ground rules to empower the team and to fix and prevent problems. Mission statements support the development of a team culture that encourages equitable task delegation and successful task completion. Mission statements are the first collaborative effort by the team. Commitment to a vision improves teamwork.

Steps to Creating a Vision and Developing a Mission Statement

1. State your project’s overall problem and define your vision for solving the problem.
2. Discuss a general plan for the team to accomplish the vision.
3. Begin a discussion of what quality standards your team is willing to strive to attain.
4. Brainstorm and develop the mission statement.
5. Initiate discussion about innovative approaches to the research and development of your project.
6. Further develop the mission statement by taking individual responsibility for directing the team’s task process.

Creating a Mission Statement:

1. Brainstorm and develop the statement to begin a dialogue to establish a culture where team members can clearly express feelings, ideas, and opinions, thereby enhancing participative leadership.
2. Discuss how you will create flexibility within the team so the team can continuously improve team and task process.
3. Develop a system whereby all the team members can actively participate in the improvement process.
4. Create a system whereby innovative approaches for maintaining effective problem solving.
5. Define the purpose, values and direction of the team by providing a clear and compelling statement of the team’s direction.
6. Develop the long term goals of the team and state them as objectives.
7. State the sources of the team’s competitive strength and advantage.
8. Establish a performance standard for the team which includes a standard for individual and collective work products.
9. Include in your performance standard, a standard that allows for the achievement of extraordinary goals.

1.5.1    Brainstorming

1.5.2    Affinity Diagram