Starting a business can be an exciting undertaking, reaping many promises of reward and economic benefit. Amidst this motivation and excitement, the temptation to jump right in and get started can be overwhelming. Navigating the new waters of a business successfully, however, requires thoughtful planning and strategy. You can be easily knocked off-course by the waves of uncertainty if you don’t know where you’re going, even if you have some of the finest tools and sailors.
In this article, learn to distinguish the importance of having a vision statement, mission statement, core values, goals, and strategy. Then, explore how to craft a powerful vision statement that fosters business success by learning from 20 examples of the world’s top companies.
A vision statement is an organization’s guiding description of future objectives. The vision statement communicates what the organization’s existence strives to accomplish. Goals and strategies outlined within the mission statement lean on the vision statement for direction and alignment.
Vision statements are short, clear, and specific while conveying what makes the organization unique. Ultimately, vision statements serve to inspire employees to work together to achieve company goals by connecting to an organization’s core values.
A vision statement communicates future aspirations. Where does the organization want to be in ten years? What is it that the organization is working toward achieving? Rather than providing detailed plans, vision statements serve as a light post that inspires and guides actions.
Mission statements, by contrast, communicate tangible details and plans. Mission statements are grounded in the present, conveying the daily steps an organization promises to take to achieve the bigger vision.
An organization’s mission statement, vision statement, goals, and strategy should all work in tandem to achieve a common outcome.
While some may use the two terms interchangeably, a vision statement and a mission statement serve different purposes. Here are examples of each for three large companies.
Vision Statement: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”
Mission Statement: “To connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”
Vision Statement: “To make the best products on earth and to leave the world better than we found it.”
Mission Statement: “To bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons, and consumers in over 140 countries around the world.”
Vision Statement: “To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.”
Mission Statement: “To connect people to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel.”
The purpose of a vision statement is to communicate an organization’s mission and direction to both internal and external stakeholders. To do this effectively, it must contain several key components.
A good vision statement:
Ultimately, your vision statement should be as understandable and unique as your products and service are. Use concise but meaningful language to convey your organization’s unique vision of success.
Identifying your organization’s “why” for existing is the first step in determining how to create a vision. In Start with Why, leadership and business expert Simon Sinek shares, “Very few people or companies can clearly articulate why they do what they do. By why, I mean your purpose, cause, or belief.” Yet, identifying and articulating your organization’s purpose is critical to its success. This is because people connect—as consumers, partners, clients, or employees—with organizations they trust and understand. Without clarity of purpose, there can be no trust or understanding.
Practicing visualization is an incredible way to clarify an organization’s purpose. Once you’ve determined the “why,” set aside time to visualize that further. Brainstorming can be done in any manner, from letting words and ideas flow freely onto paper to journaling or meditating. No matter how you do it, making time for this step when writing a vision statement is crucial for understanding the path more deeply and intuitively. It also helps you practice inspiring leadership by allowing you to communicate to your team what brighter vision of the future they’re working toward.
Questions to ask yourself while visualizing:
Once you have your “why” and ultimate clarity on the vision supporting it, it’s time to draft your vision statement. To do this, identify the three main points you want your statement to convey. What must be communicated about your organization’s vision? Picking only three points will help remove any unnecessary language while establishing the foundation of your statement.
The vision statement for Adidas, for example, is “To be the design leaders with a focus on getting the best out of the athletes with performance-guaranteed products in the sports market globally.”
Once you have your three main points, begin weaving them together. As you do, focus on remaining present, clear, and concise while avoiding jargon or unnecessary language.
Now that you have a draft of your business vision, examine it more closely. Is it clear to others? Does it effectively communicate your organization’s three main vision points? Are there any statements or words that can be eliminated without compromising the message? Taking time to sharpen your vision statement will help ensure it’s meaningful without being confusing.
Once your vision statement is finalized, begin putting it into action. Start by presenting the vision statement to team members and internal stakeholders. Then, communicate the company vision to external stakeholders and consumers. For your employees to align deeply with the vision, it must be part of daily, weekly, and quarterly conversations. There can’t be any question as to what the vision is. Ultimately, the more prevalent it is, the more powerful it will be.
Tips for communicating your vision statement:
Reading the vision statements of successful businesses is a great way to glean inspiration for crafting your own. Here are 20 powerful company vision examples to explore.
“Reddit is the world’s largest and best platform for online communities to share and connect.”
“To be a cultural platform where professional creators can break free of their medium’s constraints and where everyone can enjoy an immersive artistic experience that enables us to empathize with each other and to feel part of a greater whole.”
“That people everywhere will share the power of a wish.”
“To inspire tomorrow’s creators to use technology to build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and the world.”
“To build Calm into one of the most valuable and meaningful brands of the 21st century.”
“To help humanity thrive by enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly.”
“To make the movement and management of money as simple, secure, and affordable as possible.”
“To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America.”
“Giving people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
“Becoming the best global entertainment distribution service.”
“A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
“To make people happy.”
“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
“To enrich people’s lives by enabling them to enjoy music they know and discover music they’ll love, anytime, anywhere.”
“To make Target the preferred shopping destination for our guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation, and exceptional guest experience by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. Brand Promise.”
“To provide a workout environment in which anyone and everyone can be comfortable.”
“We will build a new medium that will redefine and enhance the nature of spoken information, education, entertainment, and other modes of verbal expression we will help create ourselves.”
“Make work-life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive.”
“Business as usual produces predictable results. But if you want something fresh, something new, that takes vision. Greatness only happens by design.”
Michael Hyatt, The vision driven leader
Getting started on your vision statement can feel like a daunting task. However, approaching it piece by piece can help you generate clarity and momentum. Using questions and prompts can be a great way to dive in.
As Simon Sinek shares, “For me, vision is about just cause—a cause so just that we would willingly sacrifice in order to help advance this cause.” What greater cause do you want your organization to have an impact on?
As you begin crafting your vision statement, remember and integrate your core values. For more insight on values, read “What Are Ethical Values in Business?”