Mission Statement - Employees should know our company Mission Statement verbatim?

I'm sure I read in a previous message on the other board, (though when I searched I couldn't find it) that our employees should know our mission statement verbatim and they should know and understand the main points of our QPM. Is this true?

John -
There is no requirement that I am aware of that states your employees must know your mission statement at all, let alone verbatim. The standard does require that they know the quality policy, but I have never seen an auditor ask for the policy verbatim, only the gist of the policy.

[Marc]

I haven't seen the Mission Statement, but like Scott I have seen them ask the quality policy. I know Scott had LRQA as a registrar and they didn't ask for it verbatum. Entela used to ask for people to know it or read it - verbatum. So did AGA and a couple of others. So - as your registrar to be sure. There are obvious differences between registrars on this issue.

[Marc]

Contemporary comments about a Mission Statement? I'm sure it doesn't have to be regurgitated verbatim (if one exists), but are any auditors asking anything about the company Mission Statement? Do all companies have a Mission Statement? Does yours?

[ralphsulser]

Auditors are not asking about mission statements since I have been involved in systems certifications the last 10 years. Mission Statements are available but not of a focus like they used to be in the 70's and 80's. Now the auditors are asking employees about the company Quality Policy, and what it means to them, and how it relates to their job. Does not need to be verbatim, but in their own words as they understand it.

[Aaron Lupo]

Originally Posted by ralphsulser

Auditors are not asking about mission statements since I have been involved in systems certifications the last 10 years. Mission Statements are available but not of a focus like they used to be in the 70's and 80's. Now the auditors are asking employees about the company Quality Policy, and what it means to them, and how it relates to their job. Does not need to be verbatim, but in their own words as they understand it.

The only thing that I would add is that I have seen some companies are replacing "Quality Policy" with the Mission Statement. As long as they can explain it in their own words and how the help support it in their job function that is what is important.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Marc

Contemporary comments about a Mission Statement? I'm sure it doesn't have to be regurgitated verbatim (if one exists), but are any auditors asking anything about the company Mission Statement? Do all companies have a Mission Statement? Does yours?

Hello! I believe that a "Mission Statment" may not be required to satisfy your Quality System or auditor, however depending on your interpretation of certain customer specific requirments ie: Ford TS, Ford Q1 Ford MMOG etc. You may be required to communicate your companies goals, targets and objectives to all employees. Again we are talking about "Hermeneutics" or the science of interpretation. So what is a "Mission Statement" Is this a vision for where the company is, and where it's going? Could these be "Goals" of the company? OK, Enough of the Fluffy Stuff If I may share an opinion, I relalize this may not be everyones opinion. I would prefer in "My Company" that every single person be 100% clear on our "Mission Statement" and be in alignment with it. For those not going in the same direction as the company, we would pray they don't hang around for to long. If I had a choice, everyone in the company would know it "Verbatim".....Alice came to a fork in the road, There, stood a tall tree, with a cat sitting on a branch. Confused, Alice looked up at the cat and said "Which way should I Take?" the cat replied "Where are you trying go?" and Alice said "I don't know" with that the cat said then it doesn't really mater.
Any Thoughts?

[Jim Wynne]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Hello! I believe that a "Mission Statment" may not be required to satisfy your Quality System or auditor, however depending on your interpretation of certain customer specific requirments ie: Ford TS, Ford Q1 Ford MMOG etc. You may be required to communicate your companies goals, targets and objectives to all employees. Again we are talking about "Hermeneutics" or the science of interpretation. So what is a "Mission Statement" Is this a vision for where the company is, and where it's going? Could these be "Goals" of the company? OK, Enough of the Fluffy Stuff If I may share an opinion, I relalize this may not be everyones opinion. I would prefer in "My Company" that every single person be 100% clear on our "Mission Statement" and be in alignment with it. For those not going in the same direction as the company, we would pray they don't hang around for to long. If I had a choice, everyone in the company would know it "Verbatim".....Alice came to a fork in the road, There, stood a tall tree, with a cat sitting on a branch. Confused, Alice looked up at the cat and said "Which way should I Take?" the cat replied "Where are you trying go?" and Alice said "I don't know" with that the cat said then it doesn't really mater.
Any Thoughts?

Most, if not all, corporate mission statements are useless PR twiddle. The mission of all commercial enterprises is to make money by selling products and/or services. What more needs to be said. if anything needs to be said at all? Mission statements should serve a useful purpose for non-profit organizations that are dependent on contributions from the public, but for commercial companies there's always a quid pro quo (money in exchange for products, e.g.) that obviates the need for the business to explain to me that their mission is to make me happy.