Dare to dream and write it ALL down
Vision statements are the dreams that people have for themselves or for their organization. They’re a depiction of a desired result that motivates, energizes, and helps describe a final destination. Ideally, they provide the needed guidance in decision making. They’re like a navigation system. As long as you know where you’re going (your vision statement), you can find the path that will get you there (your strategy).
Why do so many companies and people feel like they are spinning their wheels when it comes to knowing what direction to take in life or for their organization? Don’t they have a vision statement that will guide them? The answer, unfortunately is no. They may have a vision statement but it’s lacking clarity and guidance. The majority of vision statements are short and sweet, and as a result are too vague to assist in making strategic decisions. Why? They leave too much room for interpretation which leads to every person and/or department deciding what key buzz-words mean. For example, this mail-order pharmacy vision statement, “To improve the quality of human life” is a feel good statement but what does it actual mean? If you were to take a sample of employees and ask for their interpretation, I promise they would all define it differently. This is a problem when trying to make key strategic decisions based on the vision of the company. Vision statements are your guiding light in times of darkness.
Like a good story, a good vision statement paints a picture vs just one or two sentences we’re traditionally told to write. It needs to have a compelling start, something that draws you in, it will then describe the dreams of where the organization or individual wants to go, and then have an ending that inspires you to carry out the actual vision. The vision doesn’t have to be a chapter in a book but it should be long enough to describe your desires in detail so employees can create and execute the strategies needed to make the vision a reality. Understanding and believing in your vision brings clarity and insight into strategies that move you closer to your dreams.
Does your vision statement provide enough detail to guide you to make strategic decisions to make your dreams a reality? Feel free to leave a comment below or shout out to us on Facebook or Twitter. Of course, you could always write your own blog post on the subject and share it with us… We’d love to read it!
