Just because your company is small, does not mean you do not need a vision. Small companies could mean a small business or even a department within a large company.

Accountability is the key. Afterall, in case you make it big or your department becomes the super star within the company, you need to be able to handle your success grow cautiously using your capital and resources given wisely.

Studies show 63% of employees don’t have a clear understanding of what their company is trying to do and why?

 Lets change that?

 A vision statement defines what you want your company to be or to achieve in the future. It is what you want your company to become.

 This sets the North Star direction for the company.

Caution: This is different from a mission statement. A mission statement states what your company does, who you are and the products and services your provide. That is the reason for existence. Please read more on my mission statement article or video.

 Let’s look at the formula to craft a good vision statement

[Verb to be] + [Future state of being]

Let’s look at some good vision statements from some successful companies.

Ford: “To become the world’s most trusted company, designing smart vehicles for a smart world.”

Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click.”

Air Canada: “To be the best airlines in whole world and providing excellent customer experience in our flights with full entertainment and loads of satisfaction.”

All these 3 companies use the vision statement formula [Verb to be] + [Future state of being]. It is clear and concise on where they want to go or what to become.

Here are some not so good Vision statements:

“As reliable partners for all our customers, we rely on innovation, creativity, and consistent customer focus as well as on top performance in all areas (error: action steps are involved)”

“We work hard to be a company that our shareholders, customers, and society wants (error: the use of generic phrases)”

“We will be the Number one in our industry and strive for double-digit sales and profit growth over the next five years (error: it is dated)”

Common mistakes on these not so good vision statements are – not using the verb-to-be, too long and vague in the future state. In some cases, it sounded more like a mission statement.

Now you have the tools to create your vision statement, create it and make it impactful for your organization.

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