Vision Statement: Here's why you need more than that

If you searched for vision statement examples and then came to this article to figure out if you need one, I invite you to consider that what you need is much more than just a vision statement. I believe that you instead want a clear picture of the future that your team can get behind so they know where they are going and how to get there. 

We could make an exhaustive list of great sounding examples of vision statements that you could look at and then try to squish the future you want into this tiny box that sounds good.

OR

You could create a vision that inspires you, inspires your people, and gives them a clear path on how to move forward.

Which option do you prefer?

Why your vision is more than a statement:

In my experience working with hundreds of teams to develop their vision, mission, values, and action plans, I've found that when teams make a simple vision statement based on examples they find on the internet, it gets diluted and doesn't communicate the real future that the organization really sees for itself. 

You risk making a vision statement that feels like it sounds good, but doesn't really say anything.

It's not that I don't want you to state your vision to your team - it's that I want you to carefully consider what you are stating to your team, and what they are interpreting in your vision.

Create a clear vision of the future

In the pursuit of simplicity and sounding good, leadership teams wash away some of the best parts of the future that really speak to the vision that they see and want for the organization.

When you have your next strategic planning session, focus on creating a clear and vivid future for each person in the leadership team. That means that when they hear the vision (statement), they can picture what that future looks like, and in the process, what would have had to happen to get there. This may mean that your vision is several paragraphs long, and each person on your team got an opportunity to create such a vision.

You can then distill that vision into a few key sentences that speak to everyones desired future such that people can picture themselves there, and they can see complete picture of what that would mean for the organization.

Here's a video that might help:

This is one of the videos that we have in our How to create a strategic plan course. 

We'll help you build all the supporting pieces to create a long term process for your strategic planning. 

In summary:

• Get alignment with your team and throughout your organization in terms of what the future vision is
• Communicate your organization's vision succinctly and in a way that explains the foundational components of your successful future
• It should create excitement, it should inspire, and it should be an opening for action

If you are looking to create an aligned vision with your team in your next strategic planning session, be sure to reach out to us for more information about our meeting facilitation and strategic plan consulting services