Establishing Company’s Vision
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Whereas the mission statement expresses an answer to the question “What business are we in?” a company vision statementis sometimes developed to express the aspirations of the executive leadership. A vision statement presents the firm’s strategic intent that focuses the energies and resources of the company on achieving a desirable future. However, in actual practice, the mission and vision statement are frequently combined into a single statement. When they are separated, the vision statement is often a single sentence, designed to be memorable.
Visions are simply the fist step in the goal setting and planning process. While mission statements guide the organization in its day-to-day operations, visions provide a sense of direction in the long term -- they provide the means to the future.
Merely having your own vision of the organization is not enough to be an effective leader. We must inspire others to see what the future holds and to collaborate with them on facilitating the outcome of that collective vision. By including others in conversations about vision, you bring the team closer together around a common dream. This builds a foundation for the process of planning how you will achieve the dream. You may also want to consider how the future vision of different components of the team (departments, areas, committees, etc.) link with the overall organizational goal.
Represented are Vision Statements of Well Known Enterprises:
- PepsiCo: “We want to sell a variety of products on a daily basis to every living person on the earth.”
- Yahoo: “To enable people to find, use, share, and expand all human knowledge.”
- General Motors Corp.: “To be the world leader in transportation products and services.”
- Federal Express: “Absolutely, positively overnight!”
- Wal-Mart Stores: “Do it, try it, fix it!”
- Microsoft: “A computer on every desk and in every home.”
- First Horizon National: “A premier national financial services company, dedicated to creating the highest levels of value, producing long-term levels of industry leading profitability and growth.”
- Lexmark: “Customers for Life.”
- Microsoft: “A computer on every desk, and in every home, running on Microsoft software.”
- BNSF Railway: “Realize the tremendous potential of BNSF Railway Company by providing transportation services that consistently meets our customers’ expectations.”
- Zytec: “Zytec is a company that competes on value; is market driven; provides superior quality and service, builds strong relationship with its customers; and provides technical excellence in its products.”
- Hammersley Iron Ltd.:
- Be the company that everyone wants to work for.
- Be the company that everyone wants to do business with.
- Be the company that everyone wants to own.
Cite this as:
YouSigma. (2008). "Establishing Company’s Vision." From http://www.yousigma.com.
