How to Write a Vision Statement

A vision statement is a declaration of your company’s purpose, and it should be something you can recite in just a few sentences. It should inspire and motivate you, as well as your employees, and it should be something that remains relevant even as your company evolves.

Creating a vision statement is not easy; it takes time, effort, and a lot of thought. But the end result is worth it, because having a clear vision for your company will help you stay on track and achieve success.

A vision statement describes the future that your company wants to create.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to write a vision statement that is both meaningful and inspiring.

1. What is a vision statement, and why do you need one

A company vision statement is 1-3 sentences that distill what you stand for, even if you’re a company of one. It focuses on the future.

There are many reasons why you need a vision statement. First, it can help you stay focused on what’s important and avoid getting sidetracked. Second, it can help you make better decisions because you’ll have a clear idea of what you’re working towards. Third, it can motivate your employees and give them a sense of purpose by giving them a clear understanding of your company’s core values. And finally, a vision statement can help you measure your success over time.

What is the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement?

Mission and vision statements are often confused.

Your company’s vision statement is a declaration of its purpose, while a mission statement is a declaration of how you plan to achieve that purpose. A vision statement should be something you can recite in just a few sentences, and it should inspire and motivate you, as well as your employees. A mission statement, on the other hand, should be more specific and detailed, and it should outline how you plan to achieve your vision. Both statements are important for any company, and they should be updated regularly to ensure that they remain relevant.

When writing a vision statement, start by asking yourself what you want your company to achieve. What are your long-term goals? Once you have answered these questions, you can begin to craft your vision statement. Keep it short and simple, and make sure that it captures the essence of your company. Remember, your vision statement should be something that inspires you and motivates you to continue working towards your goals.

Over time your company will achieve those goals and outgrow them. That’s when it’s time to craft a new vision statement.

Your mission statement should be more specific than your vision statement. It should outline how you plan to achieve your vision, and it should be updated regularly to ensure that it remains relevant. Begin by asking yourself what steps you need to take to achieve your vision

2. The benefits of having a vision statement

The best way for a company to succeed whether it is a solopreneur, a small business, or a large corporation with a global workforce, is for everyone to be working toward the same goal. Mission statements provide a clear definition of that goal so everyone knows why the come to work each day.

When workers have no idea of the company values, it’s hard for them to find meaning in their work. A well written vision statement can create a sense of unity and purpose within any workforce.

Staff come and go. Even the CEO will eventually retire. But a great vision statement is there to welcome each new employee and ensure that the original vision outlasts the original employees.

With these things in mind, let’s take a look at how to write a vision statement.

3. How to write a vision statement that is meaningful and inspiring

When it comes to writing a vision statement, there are a few things you want to keep in mind. First, your vision should be meaningful to you and your employees. It should reflect your company’s values and what you stand for. Second, your vision should be inspiring. It should motivate you and encourage you to work harder towards your goals. And third, your vision should be relevant over time. It should stay focused on what you’re trying to achieve and not become outdated.

When putting together your vision statement, it’s important to keep it brief and concise. Try to think about the most important things you want to communicate, and then express them in a clear and concise manner.

To help craft great vision statements, here is a four-step process. For each step, start by brainstorming as many ideas as you can come up with. You can narrow down as you go through the four steps multiple times.

A. What is your company’s ultimate output or benefit?

What do you want your company to achieve. What is your vision for the company’s future. What impact do you want to have on the world? What is the primary product or service you provide? How does your product help to improve your customer’s lives?

Once you have a general idea of what you want to achieve, you can start to narrow it down into a more specific vision.

B. What makes you/your company unique

Next, think about what makes your company unique. What sets it apart from other businesses in your industry? This can be anything from your company culture to your product offerings.

This is a great place to embed your unique selling point and why your organization is different from the competition. Are you a socially conscious businesses? Do you have lower prices, better products, or more in-depth research? Do you donate one pair of shoes to charity for every pair of shoes?

C. Add a measurable element

You can’t help EVERY customer in the world, so is there a way to define your customer base in a measurable way? Our company will help every small business with less than ten employees, or every customer within ten miles. Your vision statement needs an outer boundary so that it becomes achievable. This is the difference between the goal of losing weight and losing twenty pounds. The second goal can be measured for success.

While it’s tempting to promise to help everyone with every problem, it’s better to dial in to who you can help and the best service you can provide them.

D. Anchor in reality

Try to convert your statement from a goal into something that people can easily visualize. We want more than hopes and dreams but instead concrete reality, such as “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.” This statement example means everyone has enough food to eat and enough money for a car. but it’s a more visual and visceral way of stating that goa.

Finalize Your Perfect Vision Statement

It’s not time to craft your vision statement. Take everything you build in our four-step process and distill your vision statement into the shortest number of words possible. Keep it concise, and make sure it captures the essence of what you want your company to achieve. Remember, a vision statement should be inspirational, so don’t hesitate to be creative.

Once you have a draft of your vision statement, share it with your team and get their feedback. Revise it as needed until you have a final version that everyone can stand behind. Then, post it somewhere visible in your office so everyone can be reminded of your company’s purpose every day.

5. How to make your vision statement relevant to your company

One of the most important things to keep in mind when drafting your vision statement is that it should be relevant to your company. It’s important to tailor your statement to fit your specific business, rather than borrowing a vision from another company or industry.

There are a few things you can do to make sure your vision statement is relevant. First, make sure it’s achievable. It should be something you and your team can strive for, but it should also be realistic. You also want to make sure it’s relevant to your customers and clients. What are their needs and how can you meet them? Finally, make sure your vision statement reflects your company’s values. This will help keep everyone on track and working towards the same goal.

Go back and work your way through our four-step process gain with this core idea in mind. Is your vision statement clearly about your company or could it apply to many companies?

Once you have a vision statement that’s relevant to your company, it’s time to start refining it. Keep it short and to the point. You want something that’s easy to remember and recite. And make sure it’s inspiring! This is what will motivate you and your team to keep moving forward.

4. Inspiring Vision Statement Examples

Some vision statements are more effective than others. Here are a few examples of well-written vision statements:

Apple: “To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind.”

Google: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

3M: “To solve unsolved problems innovatively.”

IKEA: “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”

Unilever: “To make sustainable living commonplace.” 

Costco: Their vision is “a place where efficient buying and operating practices give members access to unmatched savings

Mondelez International: “To empower people to snack right. We will lead the future of snacking around the world by offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way.”

South African Department of Education: Their vision is “A South Africa in which all our people have access to lifelong learning.”

UPS: Their vision is “The enablers of global e-commerce.”

CSX: Their vision is “To be the safest, most progressive North American railroad, relentless in the pursuit of customer and employee excellence.”

Credit Agricole: Their vision is “To create a European leader in banking and insurance that will always adhere to the principles of the United Nations Global Compact.”

PayPal: Their vision is “The web’s most convenient, secure and cost-effective payments solution.”

Samsung: Their vision is “To lead the digital convergence movement.”

Alzheimer’s Association: Their vision is “Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s.”

What makes these vision statements so effective? For one, they are all clear and concise. They are also specific enough to give guidance, but broad enough to allow room for growth. And most importantly, they are all inspiring.

The real measure of a successful vision statement is how you respond to it. Do you think these are good vision statements or is something missing? Please share your favorite company vision statement in the comments below.

Some not-so-good vision statements examples (and why)

Here are some example vision statement scenarios that need some modification from our view. You might disagree with my pics and please let me know in the comments if you do.

General Electric: “To be number 1 or 2 in every single market that we serve.”

The problem with this statement is that I can’t visualize it. They basically say they want to be the best. But there’s no sense of why they want to be the best or any boundary on their goals. This statement could easily apply to every single company in the world. There is nothing that shows why they are unique.

Chevron: “To be the global energy company which is most admired for its people, partnerships and performance.”

Their goal is to be admired which is difficult when you’re most well-known for oil spills. I do like the audacity of this vision statement but it’s strange for a company to seek admiration. What about giving your customers a great experience or protecting the environment or providing the most efficient fuel? This company’s mission seems to be one of pride rather than thinking about the people the company serves.

6. Tips for keeping your vision statement up-to-date

To keep your vision statement up-to-date, you’ll want to revisit it on a regular basis and make changes as needed. Make sure it still inspires and motivates you, and that it accurately reflects your company’s current purpose. You may also want to consider updating it when your company undergoes a major change, such as a new CEO or a restructuring.

When updating your vision statement, keep the following in mind:

• Keep it short and to the point. A vision statement should be no more than a few sentences long.
• Be specific. Avoid generalities and platitudes.
• Focus on the future. A vision statement should articulate where you want your company to be in the future.
• Think big. Aspire to do great things!
• Involve your employees. Get input from your team on what they think your company’s vision should be.
• Be realistic. Make sure your vision is achievable.
• Write it down. Put your vision statement in writing so you can refer to it often and keep it top of mind.

Share Your Vision

Creating a vision statement can be challenging, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Not only will it help you stay focused on your company’s purpose, but it can also inspire and motivate your employees to do their best work.

If you’re still stuck here are some more questions to get the mental juices flowing.

• What is your company’s purpose?
• Why do you matter?
• How do you want to be remembered?

With these guidelines in mind, you’re ready to start writing your vision statement. Just remember, this is not something that you can create overnight; a vision statement takes time, thought, and revision to perfect. So don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t come out perfectly the first time—just keep working at it until you have a vision statement that you’re proud of.

Once you have a vision statement that you’re proud of, it’s important to use it regularly to stay focused on your company’s purpose. Here are a few tips for using your vision statement:

• Display it prominently in your office or break room so that employees can see it and be reminded of why they work here.
• Share it with new employees during onboarding, and make sure all employees are familiar with it.
• Reference it in all company communications, both written and oral.
• Use it as a tool to make decisions about the future of your company.

The bottom line is that a vision statement should be an integral part of your company culture, and everyone should be aware of what it is and what it means. By following these tips, you can create a vision statement that will inspire and motivate your employees to do their best work.

When you’ve finalized your unique vision statement please share in the comments below so that we can be the first to compliment your hard work.