Tom’s of Maine, A Critique of a Mission Statement

Tom’s of Maine is a natural personal care products Company…,” and the mission statement begins here. “They have all natural ingredients and they have a commitment to the environment, this is what I had heard on the radio. That sounds like a company that is worthy of my time. So I decided to analyze Tom’s of Maine’s mission statement. I saw in this company a business that cares about the environment, so they must care for their employees, customers, and the general public.

“Build a relationship with customers that extends beyond product usage

to include full and honest dialogue, responsiveness to feedback…”

-line no. 4

This line is the key to the goals of the company. It outlines in a concise manner how Tom’s of Maine feels towards it’s customers. In the business that they are in, mainly toothpaste, the customer is the most important person to please. If the customer is not happy, they need to have a relationship with the business that encourages interaction.

This mission statement clearly defines Tom’s of Maine’s goals as outlined in the textbook. Thompson and Strickland, two authors mentioned in the text state that a mission statement should: “Broadly outline the organization’s future coarse and serve to communicate ‘Who we are, What we do, and Where we are headed.'” Toms of Maine clearly was guided by this idea of a mission statement. The mission statement points out that Tom’s of Maine is committed to all aspects of it’s business. I have broken down their mission statement into three categories.

The first category I will speak about is The Customer. This is where Tom’s of Maine’s values are written for their customer service ideals. They are concerned with their product’s integrity, and they want the customer to know this. As a customer, one should feel safer and trust a company that feels this strongly about their products.

“Serve customers by providing safe, effective, innovative, natural products of high quality.”

-line #1

This shows their eagerness to treat the customer with respect and consideration. One should not hesitate to patronize a company that feels this way.

The next category that I broke this mission statement into is Business Wholesomeness. Here Tom’s of Maine writes the guidelines for an efficient company. This is where their values for the company’s success is written, and their future goals are stated. One can see that Tom’s of Maine is very concerned with the happiness of their employees.

“Provide meaningful work, fair compensation, and a safe, healthy

work environment.”

-Line #4

One should be eager to work for a company that cares so much about their employees. Tom’s of Maine wants an employee that will be eager to work. They also are looking for their employees input into the business.

“…That encourages openness, creativity, self-discipline, and growth.”

-Line #4

Tom’s of Maine’s business strategies are closely related to the second step, as outlined in our textbook. This step states that a mission statement should have well defined operational strategic objectives. The task of doing this is done very well. The mission statement clearly shows that Tom’s of Maine has these ideals and implements them into their company’s mission
statement.

The third and what I thought to be the most obvious category of this mission statement is Tom’s of Maine’s Commitment to the Environment. This is what the company’s products reflect. They are all natural products, with all natural ingredients.

“Be a profitable and successful company, while acting in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.”

-Line #9

Tom’s of Maine’s CEO, and co-founder, Tom Chappell includes a very personal quote about his company. This provides the customer with the top executive’s views and beliefs. The fact that he is also a co-founder of the company also instills his desire for the success of the company.

All said, Tom’s of Maine’s mission statement is a very well written, concise, and encompassing statement that displays the company’s integrity and customer value system. The mission show’s that Tom Chappell, CEO, wants to run a well oiled machine. If the Natural Products market is large, I am sure that Tom’s of Maine will be a success story.