Can you begin a journey without deciding on the destination? No, because you would not know where to start.
Creating a vision statement for your company is just like deciding on a destination for your journey. This statement describes your company’s direction, making it a crucial part of the company’s identity.
Continue reading to know what a vision statement is and how to write one for your business.
What is a Vision Statement?
A vision statement refers to the document that defines the current and future goals of your business for all the stakeholders, including employees, customers, and investors.
More precisely, it describes the expected long-term results of your organization’s efforts. It also provides a common goal and direction for the employees, motivating them to be a part of something bigger than their jobs.
You can easily align your mission statement, effective strategies, and relevant core values if you have a powerful vision.
How Is Your Vision Statement Different from the Mission Statement?
People often confuse a mission and a vision statement because both talk about an organization’s purpose. However, they are quite different from each other in the following sense.
- A mission statement focuses on the present, while a vision statement is more about the future.
- A mission statement only describes the purpose of your company’s existence and where it currently stands. On the other hand, a vision statement also states where you want to be in the future and how you will get there.
What Purposes Does a Vision Statement Achieve?
- Differentiates your company from the others in the industry, increasing its appeal to its customers and employees.
- Acts as the pinnacle of your organizational funnel. Every action taken by the organization’s members should contribute to achieving the vision.
- Becomes a source of inspiration for the existing organization members and helps attract new talent to your firm.
- Reminds you to filter out the opportunities that do not contribute to the company’s vision.
- Clarifies your organization’s purpose to the interested third parties, like the media, government, and investors.
Tips for Creating a Vision Statement for Your Company
Here are some practical tips to help create a unique vision statement for your company.
1) Evaluate the Basic Information about Your Organization
You can easily set a clear vision for your company if you focus on your company’s basic information, like the mission statement, company culture, and core values.
Firstly, your vision needs to be aligned with your mission, which explains the organization’s current position and objectives. So, evaluate your present objectives to plan for the future.
Moreover, you also need to ensure that your organizational culture can support your vision. Employees will find it challenging to connect with the organization’s vision statement if it is not in tune with the culture.
Remember, your company’s core values are also vital to its identity. They determine how your firm interacts with the environment and communities. You should set a vision that falls within the parameters of these values.
2) Involve Your Employees in the Process
Don’t forget to involve your employees when developing your company’s vision. They are the ones who will be doing the actual work to achieve those long-term goals.
Their involvement in the process will make them feel valued and help you understand the kind of goals they would like to work on. They might find it difficult to accept a vision that does not involve their feedback.
You can gather your employees and hold a brainstorming session to get their input. A brainstorming session with employees from different fields and backgrounds will give you various ideas to develop a powerful vision.
3) Come Up With Something Unique
The competition in every industry is intense today. Every business is struggling to gain maximum attention from potential customers. Hence, it is vitall to have a vision that stands out from others.
You can offer products and services similar to hundreds of other businesses in the market, but make sure to add a twist of your own. Come up with a unique selling point that can become the core reason for your organization’s success.
This unique selling point can be related to anything, from a rare feature of your product to a particular service that no one else in the market offers.
4) Mention an Appropriate Time Horizon
A vision statement should not just mention the goals but also set a fixed time in the future for their achievement or evaluation. This statement usually talks about long-term goals, so the time should usually be around five to ten years.
You can plan to operate in a different geographic area, sell another product or service, or double your company’s profits.
Whatever goals you choose to achieve, ensure they will not be affected by technological or market changes.
Try To Be Concise and Clear
The longer your vision statement is, the harder it will be to understand and remember. It should be brief and catchy, something your staff can remember and repeat accurately. Try not to make it longer than a single sentence.
So how do you make your vision statement concise? You do so by focusing on just one primary goal rather than fluffing it with many scattered ideas. A short vision statement with one clear objective is easier to focus on and achieve.
Make it Challenging
A challenging vision helps your employees dream big. So, develop a vision that makes you and your employees come out of your comfort zone and achieve more than what you think you can.
Achieving a challenging vision also gives you a greater sense of fulfillment and pride than a vision that is too simple and easily achievable for any business.
However, you shouldn’t develop something too unrealistic or far-fetched that becomes impossible to achieve. Such unrealistic visions will demotivate you rather than push you toward success.