How to Create a Coaching Mission Statement
Knowing how to create a coaching mission statement is important to set your practice and approach in the best direction for you and your clients. A mission forms the basis of what drives you forward and keeps your passion burning to achieve your vision.
What is a mission statement?
Let’s start by looking at what a mission statement is. It is like a declaration that is short and personal. It briefly states your purpose, which is aimed at clarifying, inspiring, and focusing your passion, thoughts, plans, and actions to achieve your vision.
As such, your mission is an expression meant to substantiate and specify your vision. Think of your vision as the “What” and “Why,” and the mission of the “How.” While your vision puts a beacon of your dreams high in the sky, this beacon is the guiding light for your daily plans and actions through your mission.
For instance, if you’re a parenting coach, your vision may be for all parents to use their honor, pride, and love to raise happy and successful children. It does not say how you’re going to achieve your ideal, just what you’re aiming for overall.
Why is having a mission statement important?
Having a vision is a good start but, without a mission statement, your vision will just stay a far-away dream with occasional glimpses that will frustrate you at times because it seems so far away and unattainable.
A clear mission statement facilitates goals-setting and a blueprint for action that will make your vision achievable as you move step by step in the right direction.
For example, the mission statement of the Institute of coaching is “We exist to empower you to make a significant, positive impact on the field of coaching and the world.”
LinkedIn declares, “Our mission is to connect the world’s professionals to allow them to be more productive and successful.”
And Twitter vows “To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers”
Jay Shetty’s personal mission is simply to “Make wisdom go viral.”
He believes wisdom is the fountain of positive strength, giving courage to fight the darkness of selfish greed and ignorance, and power to choose love, compassion, and empathy.
Jay wants wisdom to spread to every corner of the globe. To uplift and enrich the poorest, most disadvantaged, and wounded people. To break down barriers and open eyes.
Wisdom levels the playing field. Like the universe is expanding at a mind-boggling pace faster than the speed of light, with the Internet and social media, wisdom, too, can travel instantaneously.
As you can see, your mission statement should embody your vision or dream to ignite a spark that sets you in motion to turn your passion into action.
Here are a few questions that we can use from time to time to reassess our personal vision and mission. Chances are good it will also help you create your life coaching vision and mission statements.
- How does the world look like that I want to live in?
- What do I believe in?
- Who do I want to help?
- What gets me out of bed in the mornings?
- What is my purpose and meaning in life?
- What motivates and energizes me?
- How do I want to be remembered after I’m gone?
- What impact and change do I want to have on the world?
- How and what do I want to contribute to others?
Of course, you should keep your coaching niche or specialization in mind when you design your mission. When everything is aligned – your vision, mission, niche, and strengths – you have the best chance at success. This includes having a set of values to guide your decisions and practice too.
How to create your unique coaching mission statement
Now that you appreciate the importance of having a mission statement and values that support your vision and abilities, it is time to develop your own. This will become the basis of your coaching career, and, possibly, your life in other areas too, so invest enough time and effort in the exercise.
Do the following to get started.
By answering four essential questions, you will have the information you need to synthesize your mission statement.
- What do I do (or want to do)?
- How do I do it (or want to do it)?
- Whom do I do it for (or want to do it for)?
- What (specific) value do I bring?
Be brief but avoid being vague. Define your purpose and inspire. Think long-term and don’t be too limiting. Don’t be afraid to get input from family, friends, peers, and clients. Rewrite your mission statement whenever needed.
Conclusion
Your vision statement is the foundation upon which you build your palace of dreams and invite others in to share in your wisdom and experience and follow your example so that they can grow too. A vision is a living picture of where you want your passion to take you and how it will shine onto others. Let your vision be a great inspiration and your achievements a legacy that lives long to make the world a better place.
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