One Photograph = One Powerful Business Future:
How a Vision Statement Shapes an Engaging Customer and Employee Experience
Do I really need a vision statement for my business?
Absolutely! A vision statement is essential to the success and sustainability of your company: this vital component combines physical, emotional and logistical elements to give your business shape and direction towards attaining future achievements.
“When initially describing someone as a “great business leader,” the knee-jerk reaction is often to cite something about his or her strategic ability or vision. We often hear stories of exalted CEOs and their strategic prowess. The downfall of many a failed CEO has also been attributed to his or her lack of vision.” Tony Mayo, Harvard Business Review
By “beginning with the end,” a vision statement at once guides the strategic planning process; it also inspires employees and clients alike to mindfully orient themselves with the long term goals of your business.
The most successful organizations and companies rely on their vision statements to direct their work:
“Our Vision is to be Earth’s most customer centric company, to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.” (Amazon.com)
“PepsiCo’s responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate – environment, social, economic – creating a better tomorrow than today. Our vision is put into action through programs and a focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value by making PepsiCo a truly sustainable company.” (Pepsi Co.)
Similar to these Fortune 500 companies, The Pendolino Group’s vision statement draws on concise, inspirational language to create a vision of exceptional client and employee experiences:
“We exist to create the world’s best client-partner relationships to enable the dynamic exchange of knowledge, ideas, and leadership wisdom.”
How do I efficiently create my Vision Statement?
Crafting your vision statement is as simple as 1, 2, 3!
- Reflect on the origins of your business: what do you exist to do?
- To advance your product in an industry?…
- To bring your new cutting edge technology to a market?…
- This is YOUR innovation! Where do you see it going?
- Now ask yourself: for what purpose? Who–or what–benefits from your business’s existence?
- For the purpose of improving a community or organization?
- For the purpose of propelling technology on the whole to new levels?
- What is the driving motivational force behind your work?
- Use Guided Inquiry to flesh out these two fundamental questions! Remember, developing this statement is an iterative process so do not hesitate to ask yourself these questions 8-10 times until you are completely satisfied with your ideas. With Guided Inquiry, quantity is quality!
By repeatedly asking yourself the enduring purpose of your business, you will produce an abundance of more dynamic, complex elements of your vision.
You now have the ability to continuously refine the aspects of your vision until you have crafted a succinct, inspirational photograph of your business’s future.
Begin with the end in mind–why?
The vision statement of your business inspires focus and clarity amongst employees through underscoring the long term impacts that your work accomplishes. This piece is integral in highlighting how the existence of a business extends beyond the short term, tangible outcomes of its production, inspiring its employees to work with confidence knowing that their dedication and hard work improves their communities on a macro level.
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Plato
The vision statement embodies how the whole (i.e. your business) is greater than the sum of its parts (i.e. the various roles of your employees) when the sum of its parts is oriented towards a common goal. The whole of your business will achieve success and sustainability through a unified, inspirational vision of the future.
Beginning with the end in mind promotes a collective commitment to that end goal.
Want to learn how to harness the power of the vision statement to ensure your business’ success? Call us at (888) 726-1414 or send us an email at info@pendolinogroup.com for more information about our One Page Strategic Plan.
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