<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article uses second - person ("you") inappropriately . Please rewrite it to use a more formal, encyclopedic tone . (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article uses second - person ("you") inappropriately . Please rewrite it to use a more formal, encyclopedic tone . (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> A mission statement is a short statement of an organization's purpose, identifying the goal of its operations: what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operation . It may include a short statement of such fundamental matters as the organization's values or philosophies, a business's main competitive advantages, or a desired future state--the "vision". </P> <P> A mission is not simply a description of an organization by an external party, but an expression, made by its leaders, of their desires and intent for the organization . The purpose of a mission statement is to focus and direct the organization itself . It communicates primarily to the people who make up the organization--its members or employees--giving them a shared understanding of the organization's intended direction . Organizations normally do not change their mission statements over time, since they define their continuous, ongoing purpose and focus . </P>

The statement of an organization's purpose or reason for being is called its