As a member of a family business, a vision statement is helpful to think and visualize the future of the business.
Small businesses almost are unstructured and start with a founder’s need.
As the business keeps running for years, and the founder’s purposes where already fulfilled, a business might be running with a considered purpose.
What is the future of the business, what are the owners heading now?
In a family business where a vision statement is not clear, the future also remains unclear.
What are the following steps now that the business owner has accomplished everything that he wanted.
As time passes, and external factors arrived, such Covid, businesses change their aim to survival mode.
How to think on the future, when the present completely changed?
Probably, this period of time has shown many business owners that visions are just a merely idea of what business we would like to become, but certainly a vision doesn’t have to bee 100% as we actually visualized.
A vision is set on the future, but we don’t own the future.
I do think that a vision statement is merely a declaration of what we want to achieve.
I would be the daily activities the ones that will show off if we are heading up to reach that vision.
If you are wondering what is the vision statement of a company and how to make it first let us congratulate you, because you are on the right step to achieve the goals you have in mind, even if they are not so defined right now.
Read on to find out not only what it is and how to do it, but also what is its importance and the analysis of a couple of examples of popular companies.
The definition of a company’s vision statement tells us about a goal that is set in the long term in which the aspiration about the company’s achievements is established, and what the company wants in relation to the state in which it sees itself in the future.
That is why, in general terms, it could be said with total certainty that the vision of a company is in charge of defining the route it will follow, both on the part of its managers and employees.
Therefore, it is something that concerns everyone who is part of it.
The objective of a company’s vision, if you think more specifically, is to answer the question of what the company wants for its future.
But it is also necessary to take into account how to get there.
In order to be able to define the vision statement of a company, it is necessary to know how to reflect on what it wants in the long term.
Therefore, it is always recommended to have at least 10 to 20 years in mind in order to draft it.
A tip within this area is the fact that we all know that we want to be leaders, but there is nothing better than a company that is in charge of making a difference by showing the importance of the company for society in general, the community and its collaborators.
When the vision of the company is being created, it is also recommended that everything is seen as a big dream, but that it is kept within what is possible.
This will make it so that, in the future, anyone reading it will realize that you are walking in the right direction.
First it would be important to clarify the fact that every company has a vision, since from the first moment where the person in charge of it has the idea, he/she visualizes what he/she is thinking and finds the way to make it tangible.
However, beyond that, when a company does not have a defined vision it can create confusion not only on the part of the employees, but all the people of high command that play part of this since they do not really know where they are going.
That is why now that you know what the vision of a company is, it is best that you continue reading this article so that you receive all the information you need to the point where you know how to write it correctly, and what you should base it on in order to transmit an accurate image.
To give some context as to why a company should have a vision statement, let’s review a little of what the mission means, since this is the one that is responsible for sustaining the personality of the organization.
But, without what we will explain below, it may not make sense.
The vision is in charge of giving meaning to the short and medium term objectives, and it is the one that deals with where the company wants to get to.
Therefore, it is relevant both in the strategic and operational areas.
The importance of a company’s vision can also be drawn from the fact that it is the one that allows each of its collaborators to understand how their daily work is carried out to bear fruit on a broad level, and how its repercussions are expected in the long term.
Keep in mind that anyone who wishes to collaborate with your company, long before asking you for the statistics and numbers that it generates, will be interested in knowing how they relate to the larger objective that you have proposed, and this may be what gives the first step to close a deal.
The importance of a company’s vision, as well as its mission, lies in the fact that both are the starting point from which the strategies that will help it to grow must be developed.
When the unification between the mission and the vision is achieved, the only result that can be obtained from it is the progress of the company, because every opportunity that will be presented along the way will be taken and taken advantage of, also serving to project confidence to the public that goes to it.
From day one when a company is considered to have been formed, it is important that both the vision and mission are clearly stated.
And it must be communicated in the same way to each of the members of this to align the team to achieve the objectives.
As to why having a company vision is important, it should be remembered that all successful companies have not only precisely defined this aspect, but also work on it on a daily basis.
However, it is worth emphasizing that simply defining it is not enough; it must be strengthened over time through effort, perseverance and good work, so that it is backed up by facts.
Here we will look at a couple of examples of company visions, and discuss them so that we can determine if they really go with what the companies are offering the world today.
Organize the world's information, and make it universally accessible and useful.
We all know Google, it is that search engine which we use even to tell us how to make coffee, or how to assemble a pasta, and it really has an answer for everything.
If we take into account its vision we can see that it is a reflection of what it offers to the world since its beginnings, since certainly with the help of this search engine we can find useful information, in an accessible and organized way.
Our vision is to craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body & spirit. And done in ways that create a more sustainable business and better shared future that makes a difference in people’s lives, communities and our planet.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is another of the greatest examples that we can name, and who has not enjoyed at least once a glass of this lovely drink that has gone from generation to generation as the favorite of many.
Taking into account their vision, we can find two aspects that are completely true: the first one is that they are in charge of refreshing the world with their products, and that they make a difference.
Since, beyond enjoyment, they have dedicated themselves to participate in social events that form a before and after.
To remain the most authentic, connected and distinctive brand
Nike
We’ve all heard of Nike, and the products they launch, specializing in sports footwear, have such attractive designs that we’ve all wanted one once.
Of the examples of company visions, it may be one of the shortest, but it shows us that it is possible to transmit without many words what we are destined to contribute, and what athlete does not feel empowered with the equipment of this brand!
How to make a company vision is a question that leads us to something quite simple, but in reality there are details that must be taken care of and polished to the maximum to be able to have guarantees that the result really represents us.
Having said the above, in the realization of these visions the most important thing is always to have in mind 4 elements that will help us to write it and hit the nail on the head, each of them should be studied separately and then see how they are integrated into the whole, and these are the following:
Starting with the fact that they must be authentic, which means that the members believe in them with their minds and hearts.
Remembering also that they must be maintained on the same scale of values, since these may vary in meaning and sense for each person.
At this point it must be taken into account that the vision must be congruent with the vision, since it seeks to provide clarity and understanding among people with those parameters that are supposed to define our behavior.
It does not matter what we write if our actions do not support it.
Here is where a couple of questions should be taken into account that should be asked from the first moment when the company is even in the planning stages for the creation, and everything can be summarized to the question of why we exist.
No matter how many times you have to ask yourself the same question, in any identification process it must be repeated over and over again until it is really clear what the purpose of the existence of your company is, so that you can direct your vision towards it and not the other way around.
Within how to make the vision of a company, the mission is another factor that plays vital importance.
Although many believe that they go strictly hand in hand, the first is based on what is clear about the second.
Keep in mind that you will have to have as your mission an overall goal that is achievable and compelling.
This will serve as a focal point for you to go in the direction that corresponds to the time.
In order to get it out you will have to combine what is your purpose, your objective, and also what you contribute to society.
A company cannot exist on the basis of “Let’s do this and see what happens,” quite the contrary.
We must have a clear idea not only of how we see ourselves, but also of how we are seen from the perspective of everyone else.
Keep in mind that the way you are identified will be how you will be treated in the future.
That is why the vision of a company should also give a clear picture of who you are to you, which serves to convey it directly to your target audience and in general.