How to Write a Vision Statement
How do you write a vision statement?
- Involve Your Stakeholders
- Answer Foundational Company Questions
- List Down Keywords That Set Your Business Apart
- Project Your Goals For The Future
- Keep It Concise and Clear
According to the best leadership podcast in the Philippines, it’s important to have a simple and clear vision statement that your employees, suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders can buy into. A vision statement is a roadmap of how you’re going to reach your mission. It gives direction to what the organization would like to achieve in the long term. Writing a vision statement can be challenging as it must define your company’s future. You want to make sure you are intentional about it. That’s why in this article, we provide the essential steps on how to write a vision statement.
A powerful vision statement encapsulates a company’s core values and outlines a shared purpose, such as Google’s “to provide access to the world’s information in one click” or Nike’s “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”. If done right, your vision statement can drive employee engagement by making workers feel they are doing meaningful work, can serve as a guidepost for every decision-making process, and unify your company during times of adversity.
Given the long-term impacts that a vision statement can have on a company, it is worth taking the time to craft it. Continue reading to learn how to write a vision statement that inspires ambition.
Involve Your Stakeholders
When it comes to writing your vision statement, it should encompass your entire organization. This being said, consider involving your stakeholders in the writing process. When you get help from executives, for example, the better they will be able to communicate your vision statement to employees.
Answer Foundational Company Questions
Ask yourself the following foundational company questions to have better insight in writing your vision statement:
- What is your organization’s purpose?
- What are your company’s strengths?
- What are your core values?
- Why are your products/services important?
- Where do you want your company to go?
- As a company, how do you want to make a difference in the world? What problem do you intend to solve?
List Down Keywords That Set Your Business Apart
Many of those who write vision statements fail to come up with words that truly set their organization apart from others. Keep in mind that your vision statement should shine a light on your corporate identity without sounding vague. It should be written in a way that addresses how your organization is the only one that can meet that specific goal. This way, even if another company offers a similar product or service, your’s will be differentiated from the rest of the industry.
With this being said, brainstorm and list down keywords that describe what success is for your company. The resulting sentiment should be clear. It should get everyone in your organization excited and working toward a common picture of success. Jot down words while keeping your product, mission statement, and core values in mind.
Project Your Goals For The Future
It will be helpful to project your goals for the future. Project five to ten years from now. Imagine a future in which your organization is competing well in the industry. Don’t be afraid to be ambitious. Lukewarm visions only yield lukewarm results. What does the future look like? The outcome you envision should be encapsulated in your vision statement. What phrases describe the future you want?
Keep It Concise and Clear
The worst vision statements are those that are full of jargon languages. Avoid overly general and long statements such as “to develop new markets and deliver exceptional products”. A vision statement should always be clear and concise so that stakeholders understand your goals and how your company will provide value to them.
A good way to go about this is by jotting down all your ideas and then reducing them to essentials. Focus on only one to two key points. Stay away from technical terms and write in the present tense. A great vision statement works best when it is inspirational and aimed for clarity, instead of being catchy.
Some of the best vision statements come in one sentence such as:
- Tesla’s “to create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”
- IKEA’s “to create a better everyday life for the many people.”
- Facebook’s “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
- Paypal’s “to build the web’s most convenient, secure, cost-effective payment solution.”
Key Takeaway
In this article, we’ve discussed in detail how to write a vision statement. After you have created your vision statement, be sure to communicate it to your team. With this, your business will be in the right direction in reaching your long-term goals.
If you want to find out more about how to write your vision statement and other business advice, you can start listening to the Leadership Stack podcasts today! We invite professionals from different fields all over the world to provide entrepreneurship, finance, digital marketing, leadership, self-improvement, investment, and startup tips. If you’re interested, you can start tuning in by clicking here.
