A great vision statement will stay with you. Consider Apple’s version: “To make the best products on Earth, and to leave the world better than we found it.” It’s a statement that harnesses all of Apple’s potential into a single effective sentence and provides a roadmap to where they want to go in the future.
Not sure how to go about creating your own vision statement? Here are four effective tips that will help you in your task.
- Write the First Draft
Like with many other things, the hardest part of creating a vision statement is getting started. Here are some details that you should consider before putting pen to paper:
- Size and organizational structure of your company
- The kind of people your company needs, including their skill sets and qualifications
- Attitude of the company’s employees toward their jobs and working environment
- Public perception of your company
- Set Clear Goals
Your future goals are the most important part of your company’s vision. Setting appropriate goals includes not only where you want to end up but the steps it will take to get there.
Do your best to set goals that use specific, measurable standards. For example, one of your goals may be to reduce the turnover in your company by 20 percent. Write down the metrics you’ll use to measure your success in achieving these goals. Be as detailed as possible, and make sure to not bite off more than you can chew.
- Establish a Timeframe
Your vision should look into the future, but not too far. Have a specific timeline for each milestone you want to meet, including some of the hazier parts of your vision.
This is where the ideas of setting goals and defining your company vision intersect. They both contain several smaller goals and milestones, which means that both need a timeline. As you keep achieving your goals, they’ll become the infrastructure of your vision. Again, the more specific your timeline is, the easier it will be to stick to it.
- Get Feedback
Once you’ve defined your goals and created the first draft of your vision statement, it’s time to get feedback on it.
The best people to get feedback from are the members of your company. After all, they’re the ones who’ll be implementing your vision and turning it into reality. This includes everyone from the top management to the newest employees. If you end up doing rewrites, make sure to ask for feedback on those as well.