Recently, in a meeting with a coaching client, we were finishing work on his “company’s Mission Statement.” As we were wrapping up, I asked him if he had a personal “Mission Statement?” He said he had thought about developing one but never got around to it.

I challenged him to consider drafting one. He said he would, and we set a date to work on developing one. I pointed out to him that his Why must be centered on his values and about others. We started by selecting a few keywords that had meanings for him.

Once we had the keywords, we applied a simple template I used. The template has two components: the contribution you will make and the impact the contribution will have.

  • The CONTRIBUTION you will make and to whom.
  • The IMPACT your contribution will make.

He wanted to hear mine, and I also want to share it with you.

“My why is TO intentionally add value to selected individuals. SO THAT my influence will help them grow and become all they can be.”

As you can see, the statement should be brief and about others. I shared one of my favorite quotes with my client, which inspired my mindset around Purpose and Why. The quote is by George Washington Carver. He stated, “No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through.”

As you will readily see, the same two components likely exist in your business Mission Statement—or, may I suggest, they should. The bottom line is that your Why should always be about others and how their lives are better because you are in them. This is a huge task—I promise it is worth it.