It’s the end of October. You’re probably knee-deep in preparing for 2015 strategic planning.
You’ve set expectations. The planning team is ready to engage.
But first, take a pregnant pause. Before jumping into strategic priorities, organizational goals and assigning ownership and accountability, is it time to dust off your vision statement? Does it need a makeover?
Consider the greats. Here are a few real-world vision statements that have helped shape our world:
“We will provide extraordinary motorcycles and customer experiences.” – Harley-Davidson.
“Fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” – Hilton Worldwide.
“We help consumers, athletes and artists, partners and employees fulfill their true potential and reach heights they may have thought un-reachable.” – Reebok.
How does your vision statement compare? A vision statement paints a picture of an ideal future state. Think 5 to 10 years out. Does it paint a picture of the mountain top you see yourself and your organization standing on? A vision statement isn’t a slam dunk. It isn’t guaranteed. It’s a vision.
How do you know it’s time to dust off your organization’s current vision statement and create a new one? Here are a few indicators, which might tell you it’s time:
- It’s been achieved. Seriously, if it’s been achieved it’s time to paint another picture.
- It doesn’t inspire. Vision statements need to invoke inspiration.
- It isn’t memorable. There’s a red flag if no one remembers it.
A great vision statement consists of the following elements. Your vision statement may or may not incorporate all of these elements, but keep them in mind when creating yours:
- Futurecasting: Provides a picture of what your organization will look like in the future.
- Audacious: Represents a dream beyond what you think is possible. It represents the mountaintop you strive to reach. Visioning takes you out beyond your present reality.
- Motivating: Clarifies the direction for where you need to move to and keeps everyone pushing forward to reach it.
- Purpose-Driven: Worded to give your staff a larger sense of purpose—so they see themselves as “building a cathedral” rather than “laying stones.”
- Capitalizes on Core Competencies: Builds on your organization’s core competencies. It builds on what you have already established—history, customer/constituent base, strengths, and unique capabilities, resources and assets.
Forming a strategic vision should provide long-term direction and infuse your organization with a sense of purposeful action. Think of it like the North Star. It’s your distant focal point.
StrategyCheck: Is it time to dust off your organization’s vision statement?
For a deep dive on Vision Statements, check out our post on all things vision.