Setting a company vision is crucial to guiding a team or organisation towards a successful future. After all, if you don’t know where you are heading as an organisation, how will you know you are on the right path, or ever going to get there?
Developing and embedding a well-defined company vision provides direction, inspires motivation, and ensures your team is working together towards one common goal with a united sense of purpose.
What is a vision?
A company vision is a statement of intent; it should be something that everyone in the organisation can understand, buy into and rally behind. It is not about the steps needed to get there, but the actual outcome you desire.
Simple yet inspirational, your vision should act as a snapshot of the future for your company, providing a clear picture of what success looks like. Here are some famous examples of vision statements that do this well:
Ikea: ‘To create better everyday lives for as many people as possible.’- Nike: ‘To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.’
- Instagram: ‘To capture and share the world’s moments.’
- Google: ‘To provide access to the world’s information in one click.’
A vision statement is often mentioned in the same breath as your company’s mission, purpose and values. For more information about the differences between these elements, check out our recent blog post.
How to set a company vision?
- Reflect on core values and purpose
Start by reflecting on the core values and purpose of your organisation (if you don’t have these articulated, this is something to address before trying to set your vision). Understanding the fundamental beliefs that drive your actions, and what the ultimate purpose of your organisation is, will help you to craft a vision that is authentic and aligned to your company’s culture.
- Involve key stakeholders
Engage key stakeholders in the vision-setting process. This can include employees, clients, suppliers and partners. Their insights and perspectives can provide valuable input and ensure that the vision resonates with everyone involved. By involving a wider team in the process, you will enhance your chances of greater engagement and buy-in.
- Think long-term
A vision should be forward-looking and long-term. Consider where you want your business to be in the 5 to 10 years, and the big goals you want to achieve. Be brave and take a long-term perspective as this will help with setting a vision that is ambitious and inspiring.
- Be clear and concise
A vision statement should be clear, concise and punchy. Avoid the use of jargon or complex and technical language. The aim is to create a statement that is easy to understand and remember. Typically, a good vision statement is just one sentence long.
- Make it inspirational
For people to buy in to the vision, it needs to inspire and motivate. It should paint a picture of a better future that people want to be a part of. Using positive and aspirational language can help convey the impact and significance of achieving the vision.
- Align with strategic goals
Ensure that the vision aligns with your strategic goals for the business. A good vision can provide a guiding framework for decision-making and prioritising initiatives.
- Communicate and embed the vision
Once you have crafted your vision, communicate it clearly and consistently. Share and test it with the team, stakeholders and clients. Embed it into your corporate culture by incorporating it into everyday business actions, plans and communications.
Setting a clear vision is essential to provide direction, inspire motivation, and align everyone towards a common purpose and direction, helping to improve your likelihood of success.
Need help finding your vision?
V Formation has worked with many businesses to help them clarify the vision and values that underpin their success, and then articulate these to employees, clients, investors and other stakeholders.
For example, as part of a larger rebrand project, we recently ran a series of interactive vision and values workshops for our client Boyds, a global drug development consultancy.
Every member of the Boyds team participated in the process, and the insights gained from the workshops led to the articulation of a vision, purpose, mission and set of values that captures what it is that makes Boyds so special.
Check out the case study for more details.