Family Mission Statements Evaluation Tool

Ever been on a road trip or headed to a specific destination, and realized halfway through that no one checked the GPS? Now you’re way off course and no one quite knows how to get you back on track. Families do that all the time. But now replace “missing an exit”, with missing following your family mission statement.

Here's a surprising fact: Some studies suggest that fewer than a third of families who create a mission statement ever revisit it to assess whether it's shaping their daily life. It's like having a perfectly mapped route but never checking to see if you're still headed in the right direction.

At Legacy Stone, we view your mission as the daily GPS for your family. Your vision is the destination you're headed toward. Your values are like road signs, keeping you focused on what's important. But your mission statement? That’s the real-time guidance- the "turn here, avoid this," everyday behavior guide.

That’s why today we’re giving you an easy-to-use, impactful evaluation tool to ensure your mission statement becomes and stays an easy part of your family’s story. 

Your Family Mission Statement Evaluation

Here’s a clear, three-step process your family can follow to evaluate and energize your mission regularly:

Family Mission Statement Evaluation: Step 1

Clear Mission Review
Set aside intentional time as a family to walk through each part of your mission statement. For every portion or phrase, ask:

• “Did we demonstrate this behavior consistently?” (Daily, weekly, monthly?)
• “How clearly was this behavior lived out in our everyday actions?”
• “In what ways did this influence our decisions, reactions, or relationships?”
• “What helped us live this out—and what got in the way?”
• “How has this part of our mission shaped who we’re becoming as a family?”

Family Mission Statement Evaluation: Step 2 

Family Scorecard: Use a simple scoring system (1-5 scale) to rate how consistently the actions were demonstrated. The point of this is to evaluate how well you are moving your mission statement from “good theory” to “measurable actions”:

• 1 = Rarely or never demonstrated
• 2 = Occasionally demonstrated
• 3 = Demonstrated sometimes, with room to grow
• 4 = Often demonstrated
• 5 = Consistently demonstrated

Rate each part of your mission statement as a family, openly discuss your scores, and note down any insightful examples.

Family Mission Statement Evaluation: Step 3

Targeted Action Plan: Based on your scores, choose one clear area to focus on until your next mission evaluation:

• Decide on a specific, actionable step.
• Set a simple benchmark for measuring success.

If you’ve hit any of these steps and realize it’s time to make your mission more actionable, use our Mission Statement Action Plan Agenda to map it out clearly. 

Make Mission Statement Evaluations Enjoyable, Not a Chore

Keep this process simple and consistent. Evaluations shouldn’t feel like a chore or like something you only pry yourselves away from daily life to do once a year. Because they’re an everyday guide, they need to be evaluated as such. Make these monthly or quarterly check-ins, that way everyone gets to be a part of the process and you’re not relying on a couple words on a page to keep it fresh in your family’s mind. 

If you make this three-step process a part of your regular evaluations and check-ins for your family mission, our mission resource center is packed with resources for you! We’ve got anything, from how to measure your overall success of your mission statement to conversation starters and more.