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22 vision statement examples to help you write your own.

When launching a startup, founders typically have an idea of what they want to achieve — a vision of what success will look like. During the strategic planning process, it’s important to put this vision into concrete terms. Not only does a vision statement clarify your thoughts, but it helps employees and stakeholders understand what the business has set out to accomplish. No matter what the business, a good mission and vision statement can inspire and motivate employees to make that vision a reality.

Whether it’s your first or fifth business, writing a compelling vision statement can be challenging. Below, we'll share how to write a vision statement — one that inspires your employees and positively impacts your business — and we'll look at a few vision statement examples to help you get started. 

What is a vision statement? 

A personal mission statement and personal vision statement can be used to guide our decision-making and help us stay focused to meet our long-term goals. Company statements are no different. A company vision statement is one of your most important business documents, along with your mission statement and core values. Although it’s easy to confuse the three, each one is unique and serves its own purpose. 

Core values are the organization’s long-term beliefs and principles that guide employee behavior. A mission statement deals with “why” an organization exists, while a vision statement outlines “what” that existence will eventually look like. A mission statement has to do with what the organization is doing in the present, while a vision statement focuses on the future. Mission statement examples include L’Oreal’s “Offering all women and men worldwide the best of cosmetics innovation in terms of quality, efficacy, and safety.” Conversely, Disney’s vision for itself is “to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.”

Primarily intended for internal employees and shareholders, a vision statement describes what an organization aspires to be. It helps to think of a vision statement as part roadmap, part inspiration. By outlining a long-term vision, rather than just short-term goals, a vision statement helps give the organization shape and purpose. 

Why it’s important to have a vision statement.

Despite the importance of a vision statement, many companies choose to operate without one. Some simply combine their mission and vision into one general document. Others do away with the idea altogether, thinking that corporate visions are vague statements that serve no actual purpose. 

Furthermore, studies show that highly aligned organizations grow revenue 58% faster, and are 72% more profitable than ones that are unaligned. If an organization doesn’t have a vision or a clear idea of what it wants, it will greatly limit its opportunities and have a difficult time inspiring employees to stay committed.  

How to write a vision statement.

Writing a vision statement may seem like a daunting task. It’s read by every employee and shareholder, and greatly impacts the success of the organization. And a vision statement takes time and thought. When done well, a vision statement can provide the encouragement your company needs to achieve its goals. To streamline the process, keep the following steps in mind while crafting your vision statement:

1. Determine who will help write your vision statement.

When starting out, it’s likely you and your partners will be responsible for writing your company’s vision statement. Once you start hiring, you can ask managers and employees to contribute additional insights. Interviewing a range of individuals will help create a vision statement that integrates and speaks directly to the entire organization. 

2. Project your goals for the future.

Imagine your company five or ten years down the line. The outcome you envision — your dream for the future, your success as a company — should be captured in the vision statement. Keep in mind that the statement should only include the vision, not an actual step-by-step plan for implementing solutions. 

The following questions can help you clarify your vision: 

  • Where do we want the organization to go? 
  • What can we realistically achieve?
  • What problem does the organization intend to solve?
  • What are the changes we believe the organization can make for individuals? For the industry? 
  • How will things be different if the vision is realized?
  • What phrases or keywords describe the type of organization and outcome we want?

3. Stick to the specifics.

A generic vision statement — one that sounds like it could apply to any company — will not be enough to motivate your team. Vision works best when it’s specific and describes an end goal only your organization can provide. Don’t be afraid to dream big. A lukewarm vision will only yield lukewarm results. So it’s important to be bold, and even risky, when writing your vision statement. 

4. Keep it short and simple.

While it should be specific, a vision statement shouldn’t be overly detailed. It should be concise. Start by jotting down all of your ideas, and then pare those down to the essentials. Keeping just one or two key points helps create a clear vision that’s easy for everyone to focus on and fulfill. Stay away from technical terms and jargon, and use the present tense. Rather than trying to write something catchy, aim for clarity. A great vision statement works best when it’s simple, memorable, and inspirational. 

Revisit your vision often as your company evolves.

A vision statement sets an organization’s sights on the future. However, once that future is reached, the vision needs to continue moving forward. Your vision statement is a living document, not a set of static sentences. It plays an important part in your overall strategic plan for a certain time frame. It should therefore be regularly updated to reflect your organization’s current purpose. 

Constantly communicate your vision.

Once you have a vision statement that articulates your end goal, make sure it’s clearly communicated. A vision is more effective when your entire organization takes it to heart. Commit the proper resources and time toward realizing the vision you’ve set. This can mean investing in seminars and training or launching a new product. It can also include offering the lowest possible prices, entering new markets, or exploring other areas of opportunity. A good way to help everyone align with a company's vision statement is by inviting them into the process. Ask for employees’ input, and suggest ways to incorporate the vision into their work. Then, make sure to recognize or reward individuals for their standout contributions.

Vision statement examples.

Sometimes, seeing what works for notable companies is just the inspiration you need to create your own vision statement. Below are some inspiring vision statements from today’s top companies:

Concept-based vision statements.

Some vision statements are based on concepts of what the company hopes to be or achieve in the future. This can be a general statement focused on customers, or a position the company wants to hold within the industry. Below are a few examples of concept-based vision statements:

  • BBC: “To be the most creative organization in the world”
  • Disney: “To make people happy.”
  • Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click”
  • IKEA: “To create a better everyday life for the many people”
  • Instagram: “Capture and share the world’s moments”
  • LinkedIn: "Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce”
  • Microsoft: “To help people throughout the world realize their full potential”
  • Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”
  • Oxfam: “A just world without poverty”
  • Shopify: “To make commerce better for everyone”
  • Sony: "To be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity.”
  • TED: “Spread ideas”
  • Tesla: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”
  • Uber: “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion”
  • Whole Foods : “To nourish people and the planet.”

Quality-based vision statements.

Other common vision statements are focused on internal goals. These include the type of products and services the company hopes to provide as they grow. Quality-based vision statements can also relate to company culture and operations. The following are some examples from actual United States companies in different industries:

  • Amazon: “Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
  • Avon: “ To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product, service, and self-fulfillment needs of women—globally.”
  • Ben & Jerry’s: “Making the best ice cream in the nicest possible way”
  • Ford: “People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.” 
  • IBM: “To be the world’s most successful and important information technology company. Successful in helping our customers apply technology to solve their problems. Successful in introducing this extraordinary technology to new customers. Important because we will continue to be the basic resource of much of what is invested in this industry.”
  • McDonald’s: “To move with velocity to drive profitable growth and become an even better McDonald’s serving more customers delicious food each day around the world.”
  • Nordstrom: “To serve our customers better, to always be relevant in their lives, and to form lifelong relationships”
  • Starbucks: “To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.” 
  • Warby Parker: “We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun. It should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your pocket. We also believe that everyone has the right to see.”
  • Zappos: “To provide the best customer service possible. Deliver 'WOW' through service”

Keep a clear vision.

Even if it’s just a few sentences, a vision statement provides a lot of value. Not only does it outline the company’s desired outcome, but it can communicate intentions and hopes for the future. The best part is that a vision statement changes with your organization. When a vision is reached or updated, it’s time to create a new vision statement. This encourages everyone toward greater goals, and opens your company to more possibilities.

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30 Noteworthy Vision Statement Examples (+ Free Template)

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The vision statement is the North Star of your overall company strategy, it is where you want to be as a business in the future. A good vision statement acts as motivation for employees and provides guidance on long-term goal setting.

Wondering why it matters? According to a January 2022 survey by Gartner, 52% of surveyed employees said the pandemic made them question the purpose of their day-to-day job. What can you get from unmotivated employees? Well, probably wasted money and slower business growth. But that’s a story for another day.

Let’s dive into this article, where you’ll discover:

Why Do You Need A Good Vision Statement?

What is a vision statement, vision vs. mission statement: what's the difference, how to write a company vision statement example, tips for creating your vision statement, 30 vision statement examples from top companies.

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Do you think a vision statement is just fluff with its only purpose to look good in the “About Us” section on the website?

Well, we beg to differ and so does Ryan Saundry, a General Manager in charge of Strategy & Value Creation at Asahi Beverages. Here’s why he believes a vision statement is crucial for business:

"If you look at many of the great examples of super successful companies over the last 10,15 or 20 years, there's one thing they have in common. And that’s a really simple, clear vision their business and people can understand and coalesce behind."

The reason why a good vision statement matters is that the people you are leading want to know the “why” behind your decision-making before they follow you.

If you are a disruptive business, your vision will have to be bigger and more badass than any other. And you need to figure it out to create engagement and followership from your stakeholders and team members.

On top of that, a vision statement plays an important role in the strategic planning process.

Vision statements have a directional role , meaning they guide the organization’s plans and strategies. In other words, a clear vision acts as your North Star that helps you set strategic initiatives and objectives while keeping the focus on the big picture. That’s why a vision statement should be a part of the company’s every strategic plan.

When you think about an organization's vision statement, it's not just about the business goals and how to achieve them (that's more like a mission statement). It's about looking at the bigger picture. Take Kellogg's vision statement, for example: " A good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. " They're not only talking about sales here or about being the #1 company in their industry. It's about how they want to make a positive impact on society and improve people's lives.

The bottom line is that people follow leaders with vision and customers are loyal to companies with good vision statements that deeply resonate with them . That’s why your company’s vision shouldn’t be just an afterthought. After all, a memorable and engaging vision statement engages your people emotionally, causing them to work around and through obstacles, and inspires change.

📽️ Must watch : We’re sure you’ve seen it already, BUT if you haven’t, Simon Sinek’s TED talk “ How great leaders inspire action ” is a great resource to understand the importance of your vision statement, and the “why” behind your organization.

In short, a vision statement describes the desired future state of a business within a 5-10 year timeframe and guides the direction of the business's efforts. It is essentially the future objectives of a business. The vision statement is also the first step in building a highly-effective business strategic plan, since it sets the foundation to understand the direction of your business in the long-term.

While this is more of a general definition, let’s dig a bit deeper into it by looking at the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement.

If you hear 10 different people talking about mission and vision, you will most likely hear 10 different definitions. Taking a look at some of the websites and social media accounts, it's clear that many people confuse one for another. 

But here’s how Anita Stubenrauch, ex-Apple creative veteran, explains why you shouldn’t ignore the difference : 

Here’s what’s at stake: if we mistake mission for vision, we just might accomplish what we set out to do — and then stop there.

In other words, mistaking the vision for a mission statement might just stop your organization from achieving its true growth potential.

mission vs vision statement infographic

Let’s settle this battle once and for all: 

  • A vision statement is a long-term, idealistic state of the FUTURE that doesn’t exist yet. It’s an inspiring, rallying cry that invites everyone who believes in it to contribute and become a part of it. 
  • A company's mission statement is how the company chooses to pursue its vision - like a roadmap . It is more specific and relates directly to the company’s products and services.

Let’s take a look at a few examples to illustrate the difference: 

Vision statement example: 

  • HYBE’s vision: “To be the world’s top music-based entertainment lifestyle platform company.”  

Mission statement example: 

  • Google’s mission statement: “Our mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” 
  • Walt Disney’s mission: “The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.”

So, let’s repeat the key difference. A vision statement is a definition of a company’s future, while a good mission statement represents a roadmap that tells what the company will do to achieve its vision.

Here at Cascade, we've come across a LOT of vision statements while working with thousands of teams of all shapes and sizes, helping them execute strategies . Some of these vision statements are good, some are bad, and most come somewhere in between.

And that’s why we outlined a step-by-step process that will help you craft an effective vision statement.

You can check a complete guide here , but here’s a short recap of each step:

Step 1 - The outcome

Start by being exceptionally clear about what it is your organization actually does. Be careful to remain outcome-focused rather than output-focused.

Step 2 - The twist

What’s your unique selling point? Make sure to include it in your vision statement.

Step 3 - The quantification

One of the common problems with a vision statement is too specific. If we return to the basic definition, your vision statement should be a long-term, idealistic state of the FUTURE that doesn’t exist yet. That said - don't be too specific or apply specific metrics at this stage. 

You might want to refine your target audience or target market, but avoid adding financial projections or any numbers.

Step 4 - The human connection

One final trick you can apply to help make your vision even more memorable is to add a real-life aspect. This will allow people to conjure up a solid mental image to associate with your vision statement.

Below is a vision statement example we've created for a fictional bakery place using our vision statement formula !

Vision Statement Example

Our vision is to "produce and sell locally sourced cakes and pies that are so delicious and satisfying , that every customer who leaves our store does so with a smile ."

Can you imagine yourself standing in the middle of the bakery surrounded by the smell of fresh pastry, and with a smile on your face? We certainly can! And that’s the whole point. Your vision should be imaginable and desirable, like the one above.

Free Download Download our Vision Statement Examples Ebook Download this ebook

Here are a few things you should consider when you start writing down your company’s vision statement: 

  • Keep it short - max 2 sentences.
  • It must be specific to your business and describe a unique outcome that only you can provide. 
  • Use the present tense . 
  • Keep it simple enough for people both inside and outside your organization to understand. No technical jargon, buzzwords, or metaphors.
  • It should be ambitious enough to be exciting but not too ambitious that it seems unachievable. Here at Cascade, we recommend thinking 5 years into the future.
  • Vision needs to align with the company’s core values that you want your people to exhibit as they perform their work. 

Following these tips and best practices should give you a solid starting point for creating a vision statement. 

👉🏻 Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a vision statement.

💡Pro Tip: Writing your vision statement is an iterative process, so don't worry if you don't get it right on the first try. A helpful practice is to brainstorm with a diverse group, welcoming various perspectives and refining ideas until you capture the essence of your organization's aspirations.

There are many good vision statement examples that have become widely recognized because they have some pretty amazing companies behind them. You should keep in mind that these are just a starting point. There is much more to the creation process of these vision statements than meets the eye. 

Let’s look at some popular company vision examples: 

Microsoft is one of the most well-known technology companies in the world. Their vision is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. 

This e-commerce giant’s vision is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. 

Tesla ’s vision is to create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world's transition to electric vehicles. Their mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.

This world’s largest furniture retailer’s vision is to create a better everyday life for many people. 

Lego 's vision emphasizes the importance of play in fostering creativity, imagination, and educational development among children and adults alike: “A global force for Learning-through-Play”. 

Patagonia stands out among companies for consistently aligning its actions with its mission, values, and company culture around sustainability. Their mission statement is “We're in business to save our home planet.” However, they don’t have any official release on their vision statement. 

If we asked you what TED’s vision is, you’d probably know or at least imagine it. That’s because TED has a vision statement that’s short and sweet: “Spread ideas”. Though it doesn’t follow the secret formula we’ve shared, we can say it’s definitely memorable.

LinkedIn’s vision statement is “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce,” and their mission statement is “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”

There is no official release of Starbucks ' vision statement, but here's one example of what it could look like: “To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow." 

For inspiration, we are also adding their official mission statement: “To inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”

Disney 's vision statement is “to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.”

Nike ’s vision is “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world” - and here’s the brilliance when they add the commentary below “*if you have a body, you’re an athlete.”

McDonald's

This multinational fast food chain’s vision statement is “to be the world's best quick service restaurant experience,” and its mission statement is “to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.” 

Coca-Cola ’s vision is to craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body & spirit. It makes sense right? Just think about Coca-Cola’s famous ads like “Open happiness” and you’ll instantly see how they’re aligned with their vision.

Netflix’s vision is “To entertain the world.” On their website they complement this vision with what we could say would be their “manifesto”:

Whatever your taste, and no matter where you live, we give you access to best-in-class TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games. Our members control what they want to watch, when they want it, in one simple subscription. We’re streaming in more than 30 languages and 190 countries, because great stories can come from anywhere and be loved everywhere. We are the world’s biggest fans of entertainment, and we’re always looking to help you find your next favorite story.

🤔What’s a brand manifesto? A concise statement that captures the essence and values of a brand, aiming to create an emotional connection with the target audience and inspire loyalty. It communicates the brand's mission, personality, and desired impact on the world. Brand manifestos can take various forms, including written statements, videos, or visual representations.

American Express

American Express’ vision is to “Provide the world’s best customer experience every day.”

Zoom’s vision is “Video communications empowering people to accomplish more.” Yikes . It could definitely be more memorable and inspiring, right?

Warby Parker 

Warby Parker’s vision is to be one of the most impactful brands in the world by inspiring the next generations of entrepreneurs and consumers to transform the eyewear and eyecare industry through design and innovation. 

Oxfam is a global organization with a vision of a world that is just and sustainable. 

Southwest Airlines 

Their vision is “To be the world's most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline.”

The Nature Conservancy

This nonprofit’s vision is “A world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.”

Astellas’s vision is to be at the forefront of healthcare change to run innovative science into VALUE for patients.

This giant beauty company’s vision is  “to be the most inclusive beauty leader and contribute to a society in which everyone can live safely, peacefully, and equally.”

NASA , the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, embarks on a bold and awe-inspiring vision of “Exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.”

The legendary New Zealand national rugby team embodies the indomitable spirit of unity, excellence, and Maori culture. Their vision is: “Inspiring and Unifying through rugby”.

As a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, Novartis ’ vision is to be a trusted leader in changing the practice of medicine.

The British Broadcasting Corporation’s vision is to enrich people's lives with programs and services that inform, educate and entertain by being the most creative organization in the world.

Leading global food company, Danone , is driven by a powerful vision ignited by words from their founder, Antoine Riboud: "There is only one earth, we only live once." Guided by this ethos, Danone is committed to bringing health to our planet and generations of people. 

This company is committed to creating a better world through health and wellness, and this is shown in their vision statement: “To be the leading partner in reimagining local healthcare and wellbeing for all.”

Toyota ’s vision is written slightly differently from the others we’ve seen. It’s a little longer than we’d recommend, but it serves the purpose:

“Toyota will lead the future mobility society, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people. Through our commitment to quality, ceaseless innovation, and respect for the planet, we strive to exceed expectations and be rewarded with a smile. We will meet challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people who believe there is always a better way.”

This global automotive supplier’s vision is to accelerate profitable growth and enhance our technology offer to become a leader in sustainable mobility and smart life on board. Its mission is to create and deliver high-quality and innovative products which comply with legal constraints and customer quality requirements.

In this example above, the difference between vision and mission is obvious.

Vision Statement Template And Resources 

Feeling inspired to create a good vision statement for your business? We have a collection of amazing resources that will help you create your own!

Need a bit more inspiration? Download our carefully curated collection of 100 world’s best vision statements sorted by various industries, including:

  • Retail vision statement examples
  • Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals vision statement examples 
  • Food & Beverages vision statement examples
  • Automotive vision statement examples
  • Vision statement examples for Financial Services
  • Manufacturing vision statement examples
  • Airlines, Aerospace & Defense vision statement examples

Want to start working on your own vision statement? Look no further and download our vision statement toolkit that includes all resources you need to create an inspiring vision statement. Inside you’ll also find a vision statement template and a special workbook we’re using with our customers to align their vision with company values and company strategic goals.

Need a step- by-step guide? Read our thorough article on how to write a vision statement with extra tips, best practices, and formulas.

As Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric, said :

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

Every business needs an inspiring vision to spread ideas and make a difference in the world. However, even the greatest vision means nothing without execution.

Cascade is a global software company, consistently ranking as the world’s #1 strategy execution platform. At Cascade, we make visions happen by acting as the strategic brain of your organization, remediating the chaos of running your business so that you can move forward. 

Do you want to learn how to bridge the gap between vision and execution? Sign up today for a free forever plan or book a guided 1:1 tour with one of our Cascade in-house strategy execution experts and get your team moving toward your vision.

What’s the difference between vision statement and purpose?

A vision statement and a purpose serve distinct but complementary roles in an organization:

  • The vision statement outlines the desired future state or long-term aspirations of an organization, providing a clear and inspiring picture of what the organization aims to achieve.
  • Purpose refers to the fundamental reason for an organization's existence beyond financial gain, representing its deeper meaning, societal impact, and core mission. It goes beyond profitability and focuses on making a positive difference in the world.

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What Is a Vision Statement? 25 Vision Statement Examples

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Table of Contents

What is a vision statement, what is the purpose of a vision statement, vision statement vs. mission statement, vision statement vs. purpose statement, 25 vision statement examples, how to write a vision statement.

A vision statement almost sounds mystical. But it’s not supernatural, far from it. Rather, a vision statement is a foundational business document.

There’s a lot of paperwork that clutters the office of any organization, but the vision statement is unique from the rest. Often confused with a mission statement , the vision statement has a different purpose. A vision statement looks toward the future, but a mission statement talks about what the company is doing in the present.

A vision statement is a business document that states the current and future objectives of an organization. A company’s vision must align with its mission, business plan , strategic plan, and organizational culture. A vision statement isn’t only used in business; nonprofits and government offices also use them to set strategic goals.

Vision statements aren’t necessarily set in stone. They can be returned to, reviewed and revised as necessary. Any changes should be minimal, however, because a vision statement is a guideline for a company’s strategic plan , so it must be thoroughly reviewed.

vision statement of a strategic plan

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The business vision of an organization might change over time, as companies adapt to their business environment and external factors that might affect their ability to achieve their mission. Using a SWOT analysis is a good way to gauge the internal and external factors that shape the business environment of a company.

A vision statement doesn’t have any particular length. However long it is, the vision statement is formally written and is used as a reference in company documents to serve as a guide for short and long-term strategic planning. The best way to learn about vision statements is to look at examples. We’ve gathered 25 vision statement examples from the best companies in the world to help you write your own.

As stated above, a vision statement is an integral part of an organization because it aligns with its mission, core values, and culture. It also guides the strategic plan because it sets future goals. Similar to a mission statement, a vision statement it’s a living document that’s referred to as a lodestar to lead a company to its next innovation and so, all the projects and programs executed by the project management office (PMO) should be aligned with it.

Related: Free Project & Tracking Templates for Excel

There are different approaches when it comes to writing a vision statement, as companies have unique core values. For example, a motivational vision statement will both motivate existing employees and also drive talent to the company. They’ll want to work at a place with a business vision that aligns with their personal values. A strong vision statement also works to help differentiate your company. All companies want to become profitable, but a company can create a unique vision statement that’s appealing to its customers and employees.

Free Vision Statement Template

Feel inspired? Ready to make your own vision statement? Download our free vision statement template for Word and start refining your vision. There’s even guiding questions to help you get started.

Vision statement template for Word

Why Is it Important to Have a Vision Statement?

Vision statements are one of the most important documents you can create for your business because they set a common goal for everyone in your organization. Once you get your employees on the same page, it will be easier to lead them toward success.

Types of Vision Statements

In addition to the traditional business vision statement, there are other types of vision statements, such as project, product and even personal vision statements.

Project Vision Statement

A project vision statement is used to guide a project, motivate the project team and further inspire those involved. Like any vision statement, it’s short but should be powerful to communicate the project’s aim. It’s not specific or directional but delivers the end goal of the project which must be aligned with the strategic goals of a company. In that sense, the project team can use the project vision statement as a guide to follow and help them make decisions that align with the overall project vision.

Product Vision Statement

A product vision statement is also a guide and a tool to motivate and inspire product development teams. It tends to look toward the future to expose where the product will be in a number of years. Therefore, a product vision statement goes beyond what the product is currently, but its vision shouldn’t be unrealistic. While there’s no standard length, like any vision statement, the product vision statement should be short and to the point.

Personal Vision Statement

A vision statement isn’t restricted to the realm of industry, you can make one for your own purposes. A personal vision statement simply focuses on your personal values, strengths and goals. While you can use a personal vision statement for your professional life, it’s also commonly focused on life-long goals. As with any vision statement, use it to keep you on track and make the right decisions to direct you to that transformational achievement. Then, you should make an action plan to make your personal vision come true.

The vision statement and mission statement are both equally important for a company as they complement each other and guide the direction of your company. The main difference between them is that the mission statement describes what your company does, while your vision statement explains what the company attempts to achieve in the future.

On the other hand, their main similarity is that they both need to align with your company’s core values and culture because all these elements make up your company’s identity and differentiation factors.

The vision statement comes before the purpose statement and it outlines where you want to be. First, you have to conjure it. You’re not there yet, but keeping the vision in sight allows you to get there in time.

A purpose statement is the why, it’s the reason you want to achieve the vision that’s your goal. You have to answer the question of why you want to achieve this vision. Therefore, the purpose statement is about the overall values.

There’s also a mission statement, which often joins these other two statements. The mission statement is about how you’ll achieve your goals. This allows you to make a plan, create steps to implement it and track your progress towards achieving that vision statement.

The best way to learn about vision statements is to look at real-life vision statement examples. We’ve gathered 25 vision statement examples from the best companies in the world to help you write your own. These examples prove that a vision statement isn’t a templated document that only differs from other organizations by the branded logo on top of it.

  • IKEA: “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for many people.”
  • Nike: “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. (*If you have a body, you are an athlete.)”
  • McDonald’s: “To be the best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile.”
  • Amazon: “We strive to offer our customers the lowest possible prices, the best available selection and the utmost convenience.”
  • Walmart: “Be the destination for customers to save money, no matter how they want to shop.”
  • Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click”
  • Microsoft: “To help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.”
  • Facebook: “People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world and to share and express what matters to them.”
  • Coca-Cola: “Our vision is to craft the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body and spirit.”
  • Starbucks: “Treat people like family, and they will be loyal and their all.”
  • Tesla: “To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.”
  • Samsung: “Inspire the world with our innovative technologies, products and design that enrich people’s lives and contribute to social prosperity.”
  • Netflix: “Becoming the best global entertainment distribution service.”
  • Zoom: “Zoom is for you.”
  • Patagonia: “We’re in business to save our home planet.”
  • Oxfam: “A world without poverty.”
  • Disney: “To be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.”
  • Instagram: “Capture and share the world’s moments.”
  • LinkedIn: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”
  • Meta: “Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
  • Shopify: “To make commerce better for everyone.”
  • Uber: “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion.”
  • TED: “Spread ideas”
  • American Express: “Become essential to our customers by providing differentiated products and services to help them achieve their aspirations.”
  • Sony: “To be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity.”

Every company has a unique vision statement, but the process is similar for most of them. Here are some steps to help you write your own.

1. What Are the Core Values of Your Company?

The core values of your company define its identity and how it interacts with the communities and the environment. It’s important to understand them to define your company vision.

2. What’s Your Company Mission?

Understanding what your company does and how it operates is essential to planning for the future.

3. Understand Your Company Culture

A strong company culture is an essential part of the success of any business. That’s why your vision must be aligned with it, otherwise, your strategic planning won’t work.

4. Identify Current Strategic Goals

Before you think about future goals, you must understand where your organization currently stands. Your vision might be a long-term plan that sets goals for the next 5 to 10 years, but those goals need to be realistic. You can use a SWOT matrix to get a better idea of the competitive environment of your business.

5. Define Future Goals

Think about what you’d like your company to achieve in the next 5-10 years based on the current status of your business and create a strategic plan to achieve your goals.

6. Write Your Vision Statement

Now that you have an idea of the main elements that are involved in the process of writing your vision statement, you can create one that fits your organization.

Best Practices for Writing a Vision Statement

There’s no template for writing a vision statement, however, a common structure for successful ones includes these traits:

  • Be concise: This isn’t the place to stuff a document with fluff statements. It should be simple, easy to read and cut to the essentials so that it can be set to memory and be repeated accurately.
  • Be clear: A good rule of thumb for clarity is to focus on one primary goal, rather than trying to fill the document with many ideas. One clear objective is also easier to focus on and achieve.
  • Have a time horizon: A time horizon is simply a fixed point in the future when you’ll achieve and evaluate your vision statement. Define that timeline .
  • Make it future-oriented: Again, the vision statement isn’t what the company is presently engaged in but rather a future objective of where the company plans to be.
  • Be stable: The vision statement is a long-term goal that should, ideally, not be affected by the market or technological changes.
  • Be challenging: That said, you don’t want to be timid in setting your goals. Your objective shouldn’t be too easy to achieve, but also it shouldn’t be so unrealistic as to be discarded.
  • Be abstract: The vision statement should be general enough to capture the organization’s interests and strategic direction.
  • Be inspiring: Live up to the title of the document, and create something that will rally the troops and be desirable as a goal for all those involved in the organization.

Because the vision statement is a foundational business document that will guide the company’s strategic planning direction for years to come, consider using project planning tools and brainstorming techniques to get input from everyone on the team. That way, you’ll get greater buy-in from the company, and you’ll widen your net for collecting business vision ideas.

Using ProjectManager to Write a Vision Statement

Writing a vision statement is a project in itself, and one that should be treated with some weight. A vision statement informs the direction, morale and spirit of the organization: you need it to be inspiring.

To help you craft the ideal vision statement, try ProjectManager . Our subscription model gives you several entry points. Then you can create collaborative task lists, so you can brainstorm with other leaders in the organization regarding your direction. Create a task, and add subtasks, so you can take everything into account when making your vision statement. Plus, you can add comments and files to tasks, so collaboration can stay focused and localized.

vision statement of a strategic plan

Once you’ve crafted a vision statement that inspires your team, the real work begins. To achieve that vision, you’ll need the right tools. ProjectManager is online project management software with tools like online Gantt charts, task lists and kanban boards to help you complete projects and make a name for yourself. Take a free trial of our award-winning software and see how it can help you realize your vision .

Click here to browse ProjectManager's free templates

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The Complete Guide to Writing a Strategic Plan

By Joe Weller | April 12, 2019 (updated January 31, 2024)

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Writing a strategic plan can be daunting, as the process includes many steps. In this article, you’ll learn the basics of writing a strategic plan, what to include, common challenges, and more.

Included on this page, you'll find details on what to include in a strategic plan , the importance of an executive summary , how to write a mission statement , how to write a vision statement , and more.

The Basics of Writing a Strategic Plan

The strategic planning process takes time, but the payoff is huge. If done correctly, your strategic plan will engage and align stakeholders around your company’s priorities.

Strategic planning, also called strategy development or analysis and assessment , requires attention to detail and should be performed by someone who can follow through on next steps and regular updates. Strategic plans are not static documents — they change as new circumstances arise, both internally and externally.

Before beginning the strategic planning process, it’s important to make sure you have buy-in from management, a board of directors, or other leaders. Without it, the process cannot succeed.

Next, gather your planning team. The group should include people from various departments at different levels, and the planning process should be an open, free discussion within the group. It’s important for leaders to get input from the group as a whole, but they don’t necessarily need approval from everyone — that will slow down the process.

The plan author is responsible for writing and putting the final plan together and should work with a smaller group of writers to establish and standardize the tone and style of the final document or presentation.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to hire an external party to help facilitate the strategic planning process.

John Bryson

“It often can be helpful to have a really good facilitator to organize and pursue strategic conversations,” says Professor John M. Bryson, McKnight Presidential Professor of Planning and Public Affairs at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota and author of Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement .

Byson says the facilitator can be in-house or external, but they need experience. “You need to make sure someone is good, so there needs to be a vetting process,” he says.

One way to gauge a facilitator’s experience is by asking how they conduct conversations. “It’s important for facilitators to lead by asking questions,” Bryson says.

Bryson says that strong facilitators often ask the following questions:

What is the situation we find ourselves in?

What do we do?

How do we do it?

How do we link our purposes to our capabilities?

The facilitators also need to be able to handle conflict and diffuse situations by separating idea generation from judgement. “Conflict is part of strategic planning,” Bryson admits. “[Facilitators] need to hold the conversations open long enough to get enough ideas out there to be able to make wise choices.”

These outside helpers are sometimes more effective than internal facilitators since they are not emotionally invested in the outcome of the process. Thus, they can concentrate on the process and ask difficult questions.

A strategic plan is a dynamic document or presentation that details your company’s present situation, outlines your future plans, and shows you how the company can get there. You can take many approaches to the process and consider differing ideas about what needs to go into it, but some general concepts stand.

“Strategic planning is a prompt or a facilitator for fostering strategic thinking, acting, and learning,” says Bryson. He explains that he often begins planning projects with three questions:

What do you want to do?

How are we going to do it?

What would happen if you did what you want to do?

The answers to these questions make up the meat of the planning document.

A strategic plan is only effective when the writing and thinking is clear, since the intent is to help an organization keep to its mission through programs and capacity, while also building stakeholder engagement.

Question 1: Where Are We Now?

The answer (or answers) to the first question — where are we now? — addresses the foundation of your organization, and it can serve as an outline for the following sections of your strategic plan:

Mission statement

Core values and guiding principles

Identification of competing organizations

Industry analysis (this can include a SWOT or PEST analysis)

Question 2: Where Are We Going?

The answers to this question help you identify your goals for the future of the business and assess whether your current trajectory is the future you want. These aspects of the plan outline a strategy for achieving success and can include the following:

Vision statement about what the company will look like in the future

What is happening (both internally and externally) and what needs to change

The factors necessary for success

Question 3: How Do We Get There?

The answers to this question help you outline the many routes you can take to achieve your vision and match your strengths with opportunities in the market. A Gantt chart can help you map out and keep track of these initiatives.

You should include the following sections:

Specific and measurable goals

An execution plan that identifies who manages and monitors the plan

An evaluation plan that shows how you plan to measure the successes and setbacks that come with implementation

What to Include in a Strategic Plan

Strategic planning terminology is not standardized throughout the industry, and this can lead to confusion. Instead, strategic planning experts use many names for the different sections of a strategic plan.

Denise McNerney

“The terms are all over the map. It’s really the concept of what the intention of the terms are [that is important],” says Denise McNerney, President and CEO of iBossWell, Inc. , and incoming president of the Association for Strategic Planning (ASP). She recommends coming up with a kind of glossary that defines the terms for your team. “One of the most important elements when you’re starting the strategic planning process is to get some clarity on the nomenclature. It’s just what works for your organization. Every organization is slightly different.”

No matter what terms you use, the general idea of a strategic plan is the same. “It’s like drawing a map for your company. One of the first steps is committing to a process, then determining how you’re going to do it,” McNerney explains.

She uses a basic diagram that she calls the strategic plan architecture . The areas above the red dotted line are the strategic parts of the plan. Below the red dotted line are the implementation pieces.

Strategic Plan Architecture

While the specific terminology varies, basic sections of a strategic plan include the following in roughly this order:

Executive summary

Elevator pitch or company description

Vision statement

Industry analysis

Marketing plan

Operations plan

Financial projections

Evaluation methods

Signature page

Some plans will contain all the above sections, but others will not — what you include depends on your organization’s structure and culture.

“I want to keep it simple, so organizations can be successful in achieving [the strategic plan],” McNerney explains. “Your plan has to be aligned with your culture and your culture needs to be aligned with your plan if you’re going to be successful in implementing it.”

The following checklist will help you keep track of what you have done and what you still need to do.

Writing A Strategic Plan Section

‌ Download Strategic Plan Sections Checklist

How to Write a Strategic Plan

Once you’ve assembled your team and defined your terms, it’s time to formalize your ideas by writing the strategic plan. The plan may be in the form of a document, a presentation, or another format.

You can use many models and formats to create your strategic plan (read more about them in this article ). However, you will likely need to include some basic sections, regardless of the particular method you choose (even if the order and way you present them vary). In many cases, the sections of a strategic plan build on each other, so you may have to write them in order.

One tip: Try to avoid jargon and generic terms; for example, words like maximize and succeed lose their punch. Additionally, remember that there are many terms for the same object in strategic planning.

The following sections walk you through how to write common sections of a strategic plan.

How to Write an Executive Summary

The key to writing a strong executive summary is being clear and concise. Don’t feel pressured to put anything and everything into this section — executive summaries should only be about one to two pages long and include the main points of the strategic plan.

The idea is to pique the reader’s interest and get them to read the rest of the plan. Because it functions as a review of the entire document, write the executive summary after you complete the rest of your strategic plan.

Jim Stockmal

“If you have a plan that’s really lengthy, you should have a summary,” says Jim Stockmal, President of the Association for Strategic Planning (ASP). He always writes summaries last, after he has all the data and information he needs for the plan. He says it is easier to cut than to create something.

For more information about writing an effective executive summary, a checklist, and free templates, read this article .

If you want a one-page executive summary, this template can help you decide what information to include.

One-page Executive Summary Template

Download One-Page Executive Summary Template

Excel | Word | PDF

How to Write a Company Description

Also called an elevator pitch , the company description is a brief outline of your organization and what it does. It should be short enough that it can be read or heard during the average elevator ride.

The company description should include the history of your company, the major products and services you provide, and any highlights and accomplishments, and it should accomplish the following:

Define what you are as a company.

Describe what the company does.

Identify your ideal client and customer.

Highlight what makes your company unique.

While this may seem basic, the company description changes as your company grows and changes. For example, your ideal customer five years ago might not be the same as the current standard or the one you want in five years.

Share the company description with everyone in your organization. If employees cannot accurately articulate what you do to others, you might miss out on opportunities.

How to Write a Mission Statement

The mission statement explains what your business is trying to achieve. In addition to guiding your entire company, it also helps your employees make decisions that move them toward the company’s overall mission and goals.

“Ideally, [the mission statement is] something that describes what you’re about at the highest level,” McNerney says. “It’s the reason you exist or what you do.”

Strong mission statements can help differentiate your company from your competitors and keep you on track toward your goals. It can also function as a type of tagline for your organization.

Mission statements should do the following:

Define your company’s purpose. Say what you do, who you do it for, and why it is valuable.

Use specific and easy-to-understand language.

Be inspirational while remaining realistic.

Be short and succinct.

This is your chance to define the way your company will make decisions based on goals, culture, and ethics. Mission statements should not be vague or generic, and they should set your business apart from others. If your mission statement could define many companies in your line of work, it is not a good mission statement.

Mission statements don’t have to be only outward-facing for customers or partners. In fact, it is also possible to include what your company does for its employees in your mission statement.

Unlike other parts of your strategic plan that are designed to be reviewed and edited periodically, your company’s mission statement should live as is for a while.

That said, make the effort to edit and refine your mission statement. Take out jargon like world class, best possible, state of the art, maximize, succeed , and so on, and cut vague or unspecific phrasing. Then let your strategic planning committee review it.

How to Write a Vision Statement

Every action your company does contributes to its vision. The vision statement explains what your company wants to achieve in the long term and can help inspire and align your team.

“The vision is the highest-ordered statement of the desired future or state of what you want your business to achieve,” McNerney explains.

A clear vision statement can help all stakeholders understand the meaning and purpose of your company. It should encourage and inspire employees while setting your company’s direction. It also helps you rule out elements that might not align with your vision.

Vision statements should be short (a few sentences). They should also be memorable, specific, and ambitious. But there is a fine line between being ambitious and creating a fantasy. The vision should be clearly attainable if you follow the goals and objectives you outline later in your strategic planning plan.

Because you need to know your company’s goals and objectives to create an accurate vision statement, you might need to wait until you have more information about the company’s direction to write your vision statement.

Below are questions to ask your team as you craft your vision statement:

What impact do we want to have on our community and industry?

How will we interact with others as a company?

What is the culture of the business?

Avoid broad statements that could apply to any company or industry. For example, phrases like “delivering a wonderful experience” could apply to many industries. Write in the present tense, avoid jargon, and be clear and concise.

Vision statements should accomplish the following:

Be inspiring.

Focus on success.

Look at and project about five to 10 years ahead.

Stay in line with the goals and values of your organization.

Once you write your vision statement, communicate it to everyone in your company. Your team should be able to easily understand and repeat the company’s vision statement. Remember, the statements can change as the environment in and around your company changes.

The Difference Between Mission and Vision Statements

Mission and vision statements are both important, but they serve very different purposes.

Mission statements show why a business exists, while vision statements are meant to inspire and provide direction. Mission statements are about the present, and vision statements are about the future. The mission provides items to act upon, and the vision offers goals to aspire to.

For example, if a vision statement is “No child goes to bed hungry,” the accompanying mission would be to provide food banks within the city limits.

While many organizations have both mission and vision statements, it’s not imperative. “Not everyone has a vision statement,” McNerney says. “Some organizations just have one.”

If you choose to have only one statement, McNerney offers some advice: “Any statement you have, if you have just one, needs to include what [you do], how [you do it], why [you do it], and who you do it for.”

During the planning process, these key statements might change. “Early on in the process, you need to talk about what you are doing and why and how you are doing it. Sometimes you think you know where you want to go, but you’re not really sure,” McNerney says. “You need to have flexibility both on the plan content and in the process.”

How to Write Your Company’s Core Values

Company core values , sometimes called organizational values , help you understand what drives the company to do what it does. In this section, you’ll learn a lot about your company and the people who work with you. It should be relatively easy to write.

“The values are the core of how you operate [and] how you treat your people, both internally and externally. Values describe the behaviors you really want to advance,” McNerney says.

There are both internal and external values looking at your employees and coworkers, as well as customers and outside stakeholders. Pinpointing values will help you figure out the traits of the people you want to hire and promote, as well as the qualities you’re looking for in your customers.

Your values should align with your vision statement and highlight your strengths while mitigating weaknesses. McNerney says many organizations do not really consider or are not honest about their company’s values when working on strategic plans, which can lead to failure.

“Your strategies have to align with your values and vice versa,” she explains.

Many companies’ values sound like meaningless jargon, so take the time to figure out what matters to your company and push beyond generic language.

How to Write about Your Industry

When planning ahead for your business, it’s important to look around. How are matters inside your company? What are your competitors doing? Who are your target customers?

“[If you don’t do a thorough industry analysis], you’re doing your planning with your head in the sand. If you’re not looking at the world around you, you’re missing a whole dimension about what should inform your decision making,” McNerney advises.

Writing about your industry helps you identify new opportunities for growth and shows you how you need to change in order to take advantage of those opportunities. Identify your key competitors, and define what you see as their strengths and weaknesses. Performing this analysis will help you figure out what you do best and how you compare to your competition. Once you know what you do well, you can exploit your strengths to your advantage.

In this section, also include your SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. You can choose from many templates to help you write this section.

Next, identify your target customers. Think about what they want and need, as well as how you can provide it. Do your competitors attract your target customers, or do you have a niche that sets you apart?

The industry analysis carries a price, but also provides many benefits. “It takes some time and money to do [a thorough industry analysis], but the lack of that understanding says a lot about the future of your organization. If you don’t know what is going on around you, how can you stay competitive?” explains McNerney.

How to Write Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives

This section is the bulk of your strategic plan. Many people confuse goals and objectives, thinking the terms are interchangeable, but many argue that the two are distinct. You can think of them this way:

Goals : Goals are broad statements about what you want to achieve as a company, and they’re usually qualitative. They function as a description of where you want to go, and they can address both the short and long term.

Objectives : Objectives support goals, and they’re usually quantitative and measurable. They describe how you will measure the progress needed to arrive at the destination you outlined in the goal. More than one objective can support one goal.

For example, if your goal is to achieve success as a strategic planner, your objective would be to write all sections of the strategic plan in one month.

iBossWell, Inc.’s McNerney reiterates that there are not hard and fast definitions for the terms goals and objectives , as well as many other strategic planning concepts. “I wouldn’t attempt to put a definition to the terms. You hear the terms goals and objectives a lot, but they mean different things to different people. What some people call a goal , others call an objective . What some people call an objective , others would call a KPI. ” They key, she explains, is to decide what the terms mean in your organization, explain the definitions to key stakeholders, and stick to those definitions.

How to Write Goals

Goals form the basis of your strategic plan. They set out your priorities and initiatives, and therefore are critical elements and define what your plan will accomplish. Some planning specialists use the term strategic objectives or strategic priorities when referring to goals, but for clarity, this article will use the term goals.

“[Goals] are the higher level that contain several statements about what your priorities are,” McNerney explains. They are often near the top of your plan’s hierarchy.

Each goal should reflect something you uncovered during the analysis phase of your strategic planning process. Goals should be precise and concise statements, not long narratives. For example, your goals might be the following:

Eliminate case backlog.

Lower production costs.

Increase total revenue.

Each goal should have a stated outcome and a deadline. Think of goal writing as a formula: Action + detail of the action + a measurable metric + a deadline = goal. For example, your goal might be: Increase total revenue by 5 percent in three product areas by the third quarter of 2020.

Another way to look at it: Verb (action) + adjective (description) = noun (result). An example goal: Increase website fundraising.

Your goals should strike a balance between being aspirational and tangible. You want to stretch your limits, but not make them too difficult to reach. Your entire organization and stakeholders should be able to remember and understand your goals.

Think about goals with varying lengths. Some should go out five to 10 years, others will be shorter — some significantly so. Some goals might even be quarterly, monthly, or weekly. But be careful to not create too many goals. Focus on the ones that allow you to zero in on what is critical for your company’s success. Remember, several objectives and action steps will likely come from each goal.

How to Write Objectives

Objectives are the turn-by-turn directions of how to achieve your goals. They are set in statement and purpose with no ambiguity about whether you achieve them or not.

Your goals are where you want to go. Next, you have to determine how to get there, via a few different objectives that support each goal. Note that objectives can cover several areas.

“You need implementation elements of the plan to be successful,” McNerney says, adding that some people refer to objectives as tactics , actions , and many other terms.

Objectives often begin with the words increase or decrease because they are quantifiable and measurable. You will know when you achieve an objective. They are action items, often with start and end dates.

Use the goal example from earlier: Increase total revenue by 5 percent in three product areas by the third quarter of 2020. In this example, your objectives could be:

Approach three new possible clients each month.

Promote the three key product areas on the website and in email newsletters.

Think of the acronym SMART when writing objectives: Make them specific, measurable, achievable, realistic/relevant, and time-bound.

Breaking down the process further, some strategic planners use the terms strategies and tactics to label ways to achieve objectives. Using these terms, strategies describe an approach or method you will use to achieve an objective. A tactic is a specific activity or project that achieves the strategy, which, in turn, helps achieve the objective.

How to Write about Capacity, Operations Plans, Marketing Plans, and Financial Plans

After you come up with your goals and objectives, you need to figure out who will do what, how you will market what they do, and how you will pay for what you need to do.

“If you choose to shortchange the process [and not talk about capacity and finances], you need to know what the consequences will be,” explains McNerney. “If you do not consider the additional costs or revenues your plan is going to drive, you may be creating a plan you cannot implement.”

To achieve all the goals outlined in your strategic plan, you need the right people in place. Include a section in your strategic plan where you talk about the capacity of your organization. Do you have the team members to accomplish the objectives you have outlined in order to reach your goals? If not, you may need to hire personnel.

The operations plan maps out your initiatives and shows you who is going to do what, when, and how. This helps transform your goals and objectives into a reality. A summary of it should go into your strategic plan. If you need assistance writing a comprehensive implementation plan for your organization, this article can guide you through the process.

A marketing plan describes how you attract prospects and convert them into customers. You don’t need to include the entire marketing plan in your strategic plan, but you might want to include a summary. For more information about writing marketing plans, this article can help.

Then there are finances. We would all like to accomplish every goal, but sometimes we do not have enough money to do so. A financial plan can help you set your priorities. Check out these templates to help you get started with a financial plan.

How to Write Performance Indicators

In order to know if you are reaching the goals you outline in your strategic plan, you need performance indicators. These indicators will show you what success looks like and ensure accountability. Sadly, strategic plans have a tendency to fail when nobody periodically assesses progress.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) can show you how your business is progressing. KPIs can be both financial and nonfinancial measures that help you chart your progress and take corrective measures if actions are not unfolding as they should. Other terms similar to KPIs include performance measures and performance indicators .

Performance indicators are not always financial, but they must be quantifiable. For example, tracking visitors to a website, customers completing a contact form, or the number of proposals that close with deals are all performance indicators that keep you on track toward achieving your goals.

When writing your performance indicators, pay attention to the following:

Define how often you need to report results.

Every KPI must have some sort of measure.

List a measure and a time period.

Note the data source where you will get your information to measure and track.

ASP’s Stockmal has some questions for you to ask yourself about picking performance indicators.

Are you in control of the performance measure?

Does the performance measure support the strategic outcomes?

Is it feasible?

Is data available?

Who is collecting that data, and how will they do it?

Is the data timely?

Is it cost-effective to collect that data?

ls the goal quantifiable, and can you measure it over time?

Are your targets realistic and time-bound?

Stockmal also says performance indicators cannot focus on only one thing at the detriment of another. “Don’t lose what makes you good,” he says. He adds that focusing on one KPI can hurt other areas of a company’s performance, so reaching a goal can be short-sided.

Some performance indicators can go into your strategic plan, but you might want to set other goals for your organization. A KPI dashboard can help you set up and track your performance and for more information about setting up a KPI dashboard, this article can help.

Communicating Your Strategic Plan

While writing your strategic plan, you should think about how to share it. A plan is no good if it sits on a shelf and nobody reads it.

Stefan Hofmeyer

“After the meetings are over, you have to turn your strategy into action,” says Stefan Hofmeyer, an experienced strategist and co-founder of Global PMI Partners . “Get in front of employees and present the plan [to get everyone involved].” Hofmeyer explains his research has shown that people stay with companies not always because of money, but often because they buy into the organization’s vision and want to play a part in helping it get where it wants to go. “These are the people you want to keep because they are invested,” he says.

Decide who should get a physical copy of the entire plan. This could include management, the board of directors, owners, and more. Do your best to keep it from your competitors. If you distribute it outside of your company, you might want to attach a confidentiality waiver.

You can communicate your plan to stakeholders in the following ways:

Hold a meeting to present the plan in person.

Highlight the plan in a company newsletter.

Include the plan in new employee onboarding.

Post the plan on the employee intranet, along with key highlights and a way to track progress.

If you hold a meeting, make sure you and other key planners are prepared to handle the feedback and discussion that will arise. You should be able to defend your plan and reinforce its key areas. The goal of the plan’s distribution is to make sure everyone understands their role in making the plan successful.

Remind people of your company’s mission, vision, and values to reinforce their importance. You can use posters or other visual methods to post around the office. The more that people feel they play an important part in the organization’s success, they more successful you will be in reaching your goals of your strategic plan.

Challenges in Writing a Strategic Plan

As mentioned, strategic planning is a process and involves a team. As with any team activity, there will be challenges.

Sometimes the consensus can take priority over what is clear. Peer pressure can be a strong force, especially if a boss or other manager is the one making suggestions and people feel pressured to conform. Some people might feel reluctant to give any input because they do not think it matters to the person who ultimately decides what goes into the plan.

Team troubles can also occur when one or more members does not think the plan is important or does not buy into the process. Team leaders need to take care of these troubles before they get out of hand.

Pay attention to your company culture and the readiness you have as a group, and adapt the planning process to fit accordingly. You need to find the balance between the process and the final product.

The planning process takes time. Many organizations do not give themselves enough time to plan properly, and once you finish planning, writing the document or presentation also takes time, as does implementation. Don’t plan so much that you ignore how you are going to put the plan into action. One symptom of this is not aligning the plan to fit the capacity or finances of the company.

Stockmal explains that many organizations often focus too much on the future and reaching their goals that they forget what made them a strong company in the first place. Business architecture is important, which Stockmal says is “building the capabilities the organization needs to fulfill its strategy.” He adds that nothing happens if there is no budget workers to do the work necessary to drive change.

Be careful with the information you gather. Do not take shortcuts in the research phase — that will lead to bad information coming out further in the process. Also, do not ignore negative information you may learn. Overcoming adversity is one way for companies to grow.

Be wary of cutting and pasting either from plans from past years or from other similar organizations. Every company is unique.

And while this may sound obvious, do not ignore what your planning process tells you. Your research might show you should not go in a direction you might want to.

Writing Different Types of Strategic Plans

The strategic planning process will differ based on your organization, but the basic concepts will stay the same. Whether you are a nonprofit, a school, or a for-profit entity, strategic plans will look at where you are and how you will get to where you want to go.

How to Write a Strategic Plan for a Nonprofit

For a nonprofit, the strategic plan’s purpose is mainly how to best advance the mission. It’s imperative to make sure the mission statement accurately fits the organization.

In addition to a SWOT analysis and other sections that go into any strategic plan, a nonprofit needs to keep an eye on changing factors, such as funding. Some funding sources have finite beginnings and endings. Strategic planning is often continuous for nonprofits.

A nonprofit has to make the community care about its cause. In a for-profit organization, the marketing department works to promote the company’s product or services to bring in new revenue. For a nonprofit, however, conveying that message needs to be part of the strategic plan.

Coming up with an evaluation method and KPIs can sometimes be difficult for a nonprofit, since they are often focused on goals other than financial gain. For example, a substance abuse prevention coalition is trying to keep teens from starting to drink or use drugs, and proving the coalition’s methods work is often difficult to quantify.

This template can help you visually outline your strategic plan for your nonprofit.

Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template

Download Nonprofit Strategic Plan Template

Excel | Smartsheet

How to Write a Strategic Plan for a School

Writing a strategic plan for a school can be difficult because of the variety of stakeholders involved, including students, teachers, other staff, and parents.

Strategic planning in a school is different from others because there are no markets to explore, products to produce, clients to woo, or adjustable timelines. Schools often have set boundaries, missions, and budgets.

Even with the differences, the same planning process and structure should be in place for schools as it is for other types of organizations.

This template can help your university or school outline your strategic plan.

University Strategic Plan Outline Word Template

‌ ‌Download University Strategic Plan Outline – Word

How to Write a 5-Year Strategic Plan

There is no set time period for a strategic plan, but five years can be a sweet spot. In some cases, yearly planning might keep you continually stuck in the planning process, while 10 years might be too far out.

In addition to the basic sections that go into any strategic plan, when forecasting five years into the future, put one- and three-year checkpoints into the plan so you can track progress intermittently.

How to Write a 3-Year Strategic Plan

While five years is often the strategic planning sweet spot, some organizations choose to create three-year plans. Looking too far ahead can be daunting, especially for a new or changing company.

In a three-year plan, the goals and objectives have a shorter timeframe and you need to monitor them more frequently. Build those checkpoints into the plan.

“Most organizations do a three- to five-year plan now because they recognize the technology and the changes in business that are pretty dynamic now,” Stockmal says.

How to Write a Departmental Strategic Plan

The first step in writing a strategic plan for your department is to pay attention to your company’s overall strategic plan. You want to make sure the plans align.

The steps in creating a plan for a department are the same as for an overall strategic plan, but the mission statement, vision, SWOT analysis, goals, objectives, and so on are specific to only the people in your department. Look at each person separately and consider their core competencies, strengths, capabilities, and weaknesses. Assign people who will be responsible for certain tasks and tactics necessary to achieve your goals.

If you have access to a plan from a previous year, see how your department did in meeting its goals. Adjust the new plan accordingly.

When you finish your departmental plan, make sure to submit it to whomever is responsible for your company’s overall plan. Expect to make changes.

How to Write a Strategic Plan for a Project

A strategic plan is for the big picture, not for a particular project for an organization. Instead of a strategic plan, this area would fall under project management.

If you have a failing project and need to turn it around, this article might help.

How to Write a Personal Strategic Plan

Creating a strategic plan isn’t only for businesses. You can also create a strategic plan to help guide both your professional and personal life. The key is to include what is important to you. This process takes time and reflection.

Be prepared for what you discover about yourself. Because you will be looking at your strengths and weaknesses, you might see things you do not like. It is important to be honest with yourself. A SWOT analysis on yourself will give you some honest feedback if you let it.

Begin with looking at your life as it is now. Are you satisfied? What do you want to do more or less? What do you value most in your life? Go deeper than saying family, happiness, and health. This exercise will help you clarify your values.

Once you know what is important to you, come up with a personal mission statement that reflects the values you cherish. As it does within a business, this statement will help guide you in making future decisions. If something does not fit within your personal mission, you shouldn’t do it.

Using the information you discovered during your SWOT and mission statement process, come up with goals that align with your values. The goals can be broad, but don’t forget to include action items and timeframes to help you reach your goals.

As for the evaluation portion, identify how you will keep yourself accountable and on track. You might involve a person to remind you about your plan, calendar reminders, small rewards when you achieve a goal, or another method that works for you.

Below is additional advice for personal strategic plans:

There are things you can control and things you cannot. Keep your focus on what you can act on.

Look at the positive instead of what you will give up. For example, instead of focusing on losing weight, concentrate on being healthier.

Do not overcommit, and do not ignore the little details that help you reach your goals.

No matter what, do not dwell on setbacks and remember to celebrate successes.

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Vision statement examples and step-by-step template, 37 vision statement examples & vision statement template.

It can be difficult to know where to start when creating your vision statement . Follow our vision statement template and guide, and view vision statement examples from the top 37 companies and organization. First, to create your vision statement, you must first answer these two questions:

  • What does success look like for us in the future?
  • How will that differ from how it looks today?

Once you have answered these questions, you can use the vision statement template we’ve created as a guide to write your own . Fill in the blanks to help write your vision statement:

How to Write a Vision Statement

  • By: Insert the year or timeframe
  • We envision: State your lasting impact to your organization
  • Because: Why does achieving this vision matter?

How to Build a Vision Statement

After completing your core vision statement, we also recommend writing supporting descriptors to help your organization clearly understand what that future vision statement looks like. Use the template provided in the free guide and video from above to complete the following vision descriptors:

Vision Descriptors Template

  • Financial results and impact: What is the revenue growth, profitability, or social and community impact achieving this vision will help achieve?
  • Operational excellence: What facilities, technology, innovations, or environmental impact are needed to achieve that vision? How will it help you get there?
  • Customer growth and retention: What does the volume, number of customers, geographies, or products/services look like once you reach your destination?
  • People and organizational stability: What does success look like for your people? Think about your organization’s structure, size, capabilities, and culture.

How Values, Culture, and Vision Connect Your Team to the Big Picture Strategy Stories

37 Vision Statement Examples

Now that you have a template to help create your vision statement, we’ve put together a list of 37 of our favorite vision statement from organizations around the globe. First, we will jump into some of our favorite vision statement’s from OnStrategy client’s:

#1 – Experience Kissimmee’s Vision

To be the recognized leader in destination marketing by promoting Kissimmee and Central Florida’s tourism experiences to the world.

Get the Free Guide to Create a Clear Vision and Future State

#2 – bright path labs’ vision.

Bright Path Labs’ vision is to bring our advanced manufacturing technologies to the entire pharmaceutical industry where our cutting edge and proprietary chemical production techniques can significantly contribute to solving some of today’s biggest healthcare challenges, including:

  • Improving the resiliency of domestic supply chains and the affordability of medicine
  • Reducing the risk of life-saving drug shortages
  • Supplying increased access to medicine for underserved and overlooked patient populations

#3 – Keystone Health Care’s Vision

To become the preferred provider of Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine services by embracing dynamic healthcare challenges and focusing on controlled growth in select markets.

#4 – Patagonia’s Vision

Making the best product matters for saving the planet.

#5 – Cleveland Metropolitan’s School District Engagement Division’s Vision

CMSD is the number one choice in Cleveland; families enroll and remain with the District because they feel welcomed, valued, supported, and meaningfully engaged as partners in students’ success.

#6 – The City of Reno’s Vision

We are a thriving urban center known for our world-class colleges, vibrant culture, diverse outdoor activities, and innovative industries.

#7 – City and County of San Francisco Department of Technology

We envision being a trusted leader and global example in providing innovative technology services and solutions to all CCSF agencies, the people of San Francisco and worldwide.

#8 – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Vision

We envision becoming the trusted, respected, and sought-after community partner by serving our citizens and taking care of our employees.

For-Profit Vision Examples

#9 – honda’s vision.

Serve people worldwide with the joy of expanding their life’s potential by leading the advancement of mobility and enable people everywhere in the world to improve their daily lives.

#10 – Hyundai’s Vision

Progress for humanity. We’re here do the right thing for humanity.

#11 – Porsche’s Vision

The brand for those who follow their dreams.

#12 – Kia’s Vision

Providing a new space that makes life more convenient and enjoyable by realizing superlative mobility based on innovative people-oriented, eco-friendly technologies and comprehensive services.

#13 – Microsoft’s Vision

Microsoft’s vision statement is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

#14 – Hulu’s Vision

Lead the future of Streaming TV by creating new and familiar experiences for our viewers, amplifying bold voices, and challenging our diverse builders and creators to push the boundaries of storytelling and technology.

#15 – Netflix’s Vision

Becoming the best global entertainment distribution service.

#16 – Verizon’s Vision

We create the connections that shape the future. Verizon is transforming how people, businesses and technologies interact, setting the stage for the next Industrial Revolution.

Healthcare Vision Statement Examples

#17 – renown health’s vision.

Renown Health, with our partners, will inspire better health in our communities.

#18 – Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota’s Vision

Be the customer’s first choice by reinventing ourselves and the system.

#19 – Merk’s Vision Statement

We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world.

#20 – Johnson & Johnson’s Vision

To help people see better, connect better, live better.

#21 – Mizuho’s Vision

Our aim is to be a world-leading medical equipment supplier committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our clients.

#22 – CVS’ Vision

Guided by our purpose, CVS Health® is building an entire world of health care around each and every person we serve, no matter where they are on their journey.

#23 – AstraZeneca’s Vision

Driven by innovative science and our entrepreneurial culture, we are focused on the delivery of life-changing medicines that are fueling growth and contributing value to patients and society.

Education Vision Statement Examples

#24 – harvard’s vision.

Harvard College sets the standard for residential liberal arts and sciences education. We have committed to creating and sustaining the conditions that enable all Harvard College students to experience an unparalleled educational journey that is intellectually, socially, and personally transformative.

#25 – Brown’s Vision

We will be an innovative and adaptable community of educators that creates a seamless and transformative experience for all Brown students by equipping them to succeed academically, empowering them to be in community together as their authentic selves, and supporting them in developing skills for life after Brown.

#26 – Stanford’s Vision

We are expanding avenues of discovery across all fields while creating new pathways for applying knowledge where it is needed in the world.

#27 – Michigan State College of Literature, Science, and Arts’ Vision

We are a diverse intellectual community, working together to reimagine the world and create positive, purposeful change.

#28 – The University of Nevada, Reno

The University of Nevada, Reno’s vision is to educate and graduate the best-prepared, confident leaders for the state, national, and global community; to be a nexus for research and creativity that focuses on vital issues of our time; and to serve as a catalyst for the betterment of our society.

#29 – Los Angeles Unified School District’s Vision

L.A. Unified will be a progressive global leader in education, providing a dynamic and inspiring learning experience where all students graduate ready for success.

#30 – Clark County School District’s Vision Statement

Our vision is for all students to graduate from high school having the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to achieve academically, prosper economically, and contribute in a global society.

Non-Profit Vision Examples

#31 – global fund for children’s vision.

The Global Fund for Children, envision a world where all children have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. This vision can be turned into reality with the help of grassroots organizations.

#32 – St. Jude’s Vision

To accelerate progress against catastrophic disease at a global level.

#33 – Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

All youth achieve their full potential.

#34 – Nevada Humane Society’s Vision

Our Vision is that all pets have a healthy, happy life.

#35 – Boys and Girls Club of America’s Vision

Provide a world-class Club Experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.

#36 – Habitat for Humanity’s Vision

A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

#37 – American Red Cross’ Vision

The American Red Cross, through its strong network of volunteers, donors and partners, is always there in times of need. We aspire to turn compassion into action so that…

  • …all people affected by disaster across the country and around the world receive care, shelter and hope;
  • …our communities are ready and prepared for disasters;
  • …everyone in our country has access to safe, lifesaving blood and blood products;
  • …all members of our armed services and their families find support and comfort whenever needed; and
  • …in an emergency, there are always trained individuals nearby, ready to use their Red Cross skills to save lives.

For a deep dive on Vision Statements, check out our post on all things vision .

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What is strategic planning? A 5-step guide

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Strategic planning is a process through which business leaders map out their vision for their organization’s growth and how they’re going to get there. In this article, we'll guide you through the strategic planning process, including why it's important, the benefits and best practices, and five steps to get you from beginning to end.

Strategic planning is a process through which business leaders map out their vision for their organization’s growth and how they’re going to get there. The strategic planning process informs your organization’s decisions, growth, and goals.

Strategic planning helps you clearly define your company’s long-term objectives—and maps how your short-term goals and work will help you achieve them. This, in turn, gives you a clear sense of where your organization is going and allows you to ensure your teams are working on projects that make the most impact. Think of it this way—if your goals and objectives are your destination on a map, your strategic plan is your navigation system.

In this article, we walk you through the 5-step strategic planning process and show you how to get started developing your own strategic plan.

How to build an organizational strategy

Get our free ebook and learn how to bridge the gap between mission, strategic goals, and work at your organization.

What is strategic planning?

Strategic planning is a business process that helps you define and share the direction your company will take in the next three to five years. During the strategic planning process, stakeholders review and define the organization’s mission and goals, conduct competitive assessments, and identify company goals and objectives. The product of the planning cycle is a strategic plan, which is shared throughout the company.

What is a strategic plan?

[inline illustration] Strategic plan elements (infographic)

A strategic plan is the end result of the strategic planning process. At its most basic, it’s a tool used to define your organization’s goals and what actions you’ll take to achieve them.

Typically, your strategic plan should include: 

Your company’s mission statement

Your organizational goals, including your long-term goals and short-term, yearly objectives

Any plan of action, tactics, or approaches you plan to take to meet those goals

What are the benefits of strategic planning?

Strategic planning can help with goal setting and decision-making by allowing you to map out how your company will move toward your organization’s vision and mission statements in the next three to five years. Let’s circle back to our map metaphor. If you think of your company trajectory as a line on a map, a strategic plan can help you better quantify how you’ll get from point A (where you are now) to point B (where you want to be in a few years).

When you create and share a clear strategic plan with your team, you can:

Build a strong organizational culture by clearly defining and aligning on your organization’s mission, vision, and goals.

Align everyone around a shared purpose and ensure all departments and teams are working toward a common objective.

Proactively set objectives to help you get where you want to go and achieve desired outcomes.

Promote a long-term vision for your company rather than focusing primarily on short-term gains.

Ensure resources are allocated around the most high-impact priorities.

Define long-term goals and set shorter-term goals to support them.

Assess your current situation and identify any opportunities—or threats—allowing your organization to mitigate potential risks.

Create a proactive business culture that enables your organization to respond more swiftly to emerging market changes and opportunities.

What are the 5 steps in strategic planning?

The strategic planning process involves a structured methodology that guides the organization from vision to implementation. The strategic planning process starts with assembling a small, dedicated team of key strategic planners—typically five to 10 members—who will form the strategic planning, or management, committee. This team is responsible for gathering crucial information, guiding the development of the plan, and overseeing strategy execution.

Once you’ve established your management committee, you can get to work on the planning process. 

Step 1: Assess your current business strategy and business environment

Before you can define where you’re going, you first need to define where you are. Understanding the external environment, including market trends and competitive landscape, is crucial in the initial assessment phase of strategic planning.

To do this, your management committee should collect a variety of information from additional stakeholders, like employees and customers. In particular, plan to gather:

Relevant industry and market data to inform any market opportunities, as well as any potential upcoming threats in the near future.

Customer insights to understand what your customers want from your company—like product improvements or additional services.

Employee feedback that needs to be addressed—whether about the product, business practices, or the day-to-day company culture.

Consider different types of strategic planning tools and analytical techniques to gather this information, such as:

A balanced scorecard to help you evaluate four major elements of a business: learning and growth, business processes, customer satisfaction, and financial performance.

A SWOT analysis to help you assess both current and future potential for the business (you’ll return to this analysis periodically during the strategic planning process). 

To fill out each letter in the SWOT acronym, your management committee will answer a series of questions:

What does your organization currently do well?

What separates you from your competitors?

What are your most valuable internal resources?

What tangible assets do you have?

What is your biggest strength? 

Weaknesses:

What does your organization do poorly?

What do you currently lack (whether that’s a product, resource, or process)?

What do your competitors do better than you?

What, if any, limitations are holding your organization back?

What processes or products need improvement? 

Opportunities:

What opportunities does your organization have?

How can you leverage your unique company strengths?

Are there any trends that you can take advantage of?

How can you capitalize on marketing or press opportunities?

Is there an emerging need for your product or service? 

What emerging competitors should you keep an eye on?

Are there any weaknesses that expose your organization to risk?

Have you or could you experience negative press that could reduce market share?

Is there a chance of changing customer attitudes towards your company? 

Step 2: Identify your company’s goals and objectives

To begin strategy development, take into account your current position, which is where you are now. Then, draw inspiration from your vision, mission, and current position to identify and define your goals—these are your final destination. 

To develop your strategy, you’re essentially pulling out your compass and asking, “Where are we going next?” “What’s the ideal future state of this company?” This can help you figure out which path you need to take to get there.

During this phase of the planning process, take inspiration from important company documents, such as:

Your mission statement, to understand how you can continue moving towards your organization’s core purpose.

Your vision statement, to clarify how your strategic plan fits into your long-term vision.

Your company values, to guide you towards what matters most towards your company.

Your competitive advantages, to understand what unique benefit you offer to the market.

Your long-term goals, to track where you want to be in five or 10 years.

Your financial forecast and projection, to understand where you expect your financials to be in the next three years, what your expected cash flow is, and what new opportunities you will likely be able to invest in.

Step 3: Develop your strategic plan and determine performance metrics

Now that you understand where you are and where you want to go, it’s time to put pen to paper. Take your current business position and strategy into account, as well as your organization’s goals and objectives, and build out a strategic plan for the next three to five years. Keep in mind that even though you’re creating a long-term plan, parts of your plan should be created or revisited as the quarters and years go on.

As you build your strategic plan, you should define:

Company priorities for the next three to five years, based on your SWOT analysis and strategy.

Yearly objectives for the first year. You don’t need to define your objectives for every year of the strategic plan. As the years go on, create new yearly objectives that connect back to your overall strategic goals . 

Related key results and KPIs. Some of these should be set by the management committee, and some should be set by specific teams that are closer to the work. Make sure your key results and KPIs are measurable and actionable. These KPIs will help you track progress and ensure you’re moving in the right direction.

Budget for the next year or few years. This should be based on your financial forecast as well as your direction. Do you need to spend aggressively to develop your product? Build your team? Make a dent with marketing? Clarify your most important initiatives and how you’ll budget for those.

A high-level project roadmap . A project roadmap is a tool in project management that helps you visualize the timeline of a complex initiative, but you can also create a very high-level project roadmap for your strategic plan. Outline what you expect to be working on in certain quarters or years to make the plan more actionable and understandable.

Step 4: Implement and share your plan

Now it’s time to put your plan into action. Strategy implementation involves clear communication across your entire organization to make sure everyone knows their responsibilities and how to measure the plan’s success. 

Make sure your team (especially senior leadership) has access to the strategic plan, so they can understand how their work contributes to company priorities and the overall strategy map. We recommend sharing your plan in the same tool you use to manage and track work, so you can more easily connect high-level objectives to daily work. If you don’t already, consider using a work management platform .  

A few tips to make sure your plan will be executed without a hitch: 

Communicate clearly to your entire organization throughout the implementation process, to ensure all team members understand the strategic plan and how to implement it effectively. 

Define what “success” looks like by mapping your strategic plan to key performance indicators.

Ensure that the actions outlined in the strategic plan are integrated into the daily operations of the organization, so that every team member's daily activities are aligned with the broader strategic objectives.

Utilize tools and software—like a work management platform—that can aid in implementing and tracking the progress of your plan.

Regularly monitor and share the progress of the strategic plan with the entire organization, to keep everyone informed and reinforce the importance of the plan.

Establish regular check-ins to monitor the progress of your strategic plan and make adjustments as needed. 

Step 5: Revise and restructure as needed

Once you’ve created and implemented your new strategic framework, the final step of the planning process is to monitor and manage your plan.

Remember, your strategic plan isn’t set in stone. You’ll need to revisit and update the plan if your company changes directions or makes new investments. As new market opportunities and threats come up, you’ll likely want to tweak your strategic plan. Make sure to review your plan regularly—meaning quarterly and annually—to ensure it’s still aligned with your organization’s vision and goals.

Keep in mind that your plan won’t last forever, even if you do update it frequently. A successful strategic plan evolves with your company’s long-term goals. When you’ve achieved most of your strategic goals, or if your strategy has evolved significantly since you first made your plan, it might be time to create a new one.

Build a smarter strategic plan with a work management platform

To turn your company strategy into a plan—and ultimately, impact—make sure you’re proactively connecting company objectives to daily work. When you can clarify this connection, you’re giving your team members the context they need to get their best work done. 

A work management platform plays a pivotal role in this process. It acts as a central hub for your strategic plan, ensuring that every task and project is directly tied to your broader company goals. This alignment is crucial for visibility and coordination, allowing team members to see how their individual efforts contribute to the company’s success. 

By leveraging such a platform, you not only streamline workflow and enhance team productivity but also align every action with your strategic objectives—allowing teams to drive greater impact and helping your company move toward goals more effectively. 

Strategic planning FAQs

Still have questions about strategic planning? We have answers.

Why do I need a strategic plan?

A strategic plan is one of many tools you can use to plan and hit your goals. It helps map out strategic objectives and growth metrics that will help your company be successful.

When should I create a strategic plan?

You should aim to create a strategic plan every three to five years, depending on your organization’s growth speed.

Since the point of a strategic plan is to map out your long-term goals and how you’ll get there, you should create a strategic plan when you’ve met most or all of them. You should also create a strategic plan any time you’re going to make a large pivot in your organization’s mission or enter new markets. 

What is a strategic planning template?

A strategic planning template is a tool organizations can use to map out their strategic plan and track progress. Typically, a strategic planning template houses all the components needed to build out a strategic plan, including your company’s vision and mission statements, information from any competitive analyses or SWOT assessments, and relevant KPIs.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. business plan?

A business plan can help you document your strategy as you’re getting started so every team member is on the same page about your core business priorities and goals. This tool can help you document and share your strategy with key investors or stakeholders as you get your business up and running.

You should create a business plan when you’re: 

Just starting your business

Significantly restructuring your business

If your business is already established, you should create a strategic plan instead of a business plan. Even if you’re working at a relatively young company, your strategic plan can build on your business plan to help you move in the right direction. During the strategic planning process, you’ll draw from a lot of the fundamental business elements you built early on to establish your strategy for the next three to five years.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. mission and vision statements?

Your strategic plan, mission statement, and vision statements are all closely connected. In fact, during the strategic planning process, you will take inspiration from your mission and vision statements in order to build out your strategic plan.

Simply put: 

A mission statement summarizes your company’s purpose.

A vision statement broadly explains how you’ll reach your company’s purpose.

A strategic plan pulls in inspiration from your mission and vision statements and outlines what actions you’re going to take to move in the right direction. 

For example, if your company produces pet safety equipment, here’s how your mission statement, vision statement, and strategic plan might shake out:

Mission statement: “To ensure the safety of the world’s animals.” 

Vision statement: “To create pet safety and tracking products that are effortless to use.” 

Your strategic plan would outline the steps you’re going to take in the next few years to bring your company closer to your mission and vision. For example, you develop a new pet tracking smart collar or improve the microchipping experience for pet owners. 

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. company objectives?

Company objectives are broad goals. You should set these on a yearly or quarterly basis (if your organization moves quickly). These objectives give your team a clear sense of what you intend to accomplish for a set period of time. 

Your strategic plan is more forward-thinking than your company goals, and it should cover more than one year of work. Think of it this way: your company objectives will move the needle towards your overall strategy—but your strategic plan should be bigger than company objectives because it spans multiple years.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. a business case?

A business case is a document to help you pitch a significant investment or initiative for your company. When you create a business case, you’re outlining why this investment is a good idea, and how this large-scale project will positively impact the business. 

You might end up building business cases for things on your strategic plan’s roadmap—but your strategic plan should be bigger than that. This tool should encompass multiple years of your roadmap, across your entire company—not just one initiative.

What’s the difference between a strategic plan vs. a project plan?

A strategic plan is a company-wide, multi-year plan of what you want to accomplish in the next three to five years and how you plan to accomplish that. A project plan, on the other hand, outlines how you’re going to accomplish a specific project. This project could be one of many initiatives that contribute to a specific company objective which, in turn, is one of many objectives that contribute to your strategic plan. 

What’s the difference between strategic management vs. strategic planning?

A strategic plan is a tool to define where your organization wants to go and what actions you need to take to achieve those goals. Strategic planning is the process of creating a plan in order to hit your strategic objectives.

Strategic management includes the strategic planning process, but also goes beyond it. In addition to planning how you will achieve your big-picture goals, strategic management also helps you organize your resources and figure out the best action plans for success. 

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  • Section 1. An Overview of Strategic Planning or "VMOSA" (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action Plans)

Chapter 8 Sections

  • Section 2. Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements
  • Section 3. Creating Objectives
  • Section 4. Developing Successful Strategies: Planning to Win
  • Section 5. Developing an Action Plan
  • Section 6. Obtaining Feedback from Constituents: What Changes are Important and Feasible?
  • Section 7. Identifying Action Steps in Bringing About Community and System Change
  • Main Section

VMOSA (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action Plans) is a practical planning process used to help community groups define a vision and develop practical ways to enact change. VMOSA helps your organization set and achieve short term goals while keeping sight of your long term vision. Implementing this planning process into your group's efforts supports developing a clear mission, building consensus, and grounding your group's dreams. This section explores how and when to implement VMOSA into your organization's planning process.

What is VMOSA?

One way to make that journey is through strategic planning, the process by which a group defines its own "VMOSA;" that is, its V ision, M ission, O bjectives, S trategies, and A ction Plans. VMOSA is a practical planning process that can be used by any community organization or initiative. This comprehensive planning tool can help your organization by providing a blueprint for moving from dreams to actions to positive outcomes for your community.

In this section, we will give a general overview of the process, and touch briefly on each of the individual parts. In Examples, we'll show you how an initiative to prevent adolescent pregnancy used the VMOSA process effectively. Then, in Tools, we offer you a possible agenda for a planning retreat, should your organization decide to use this process. Finally, the remaining sections in this chapter will walk you through the steps needed to fully develop each portion of the process.

Why should your organization use VMOSA?

Why should your organization use this planning process? There are many good reasons, including all of the following:

  • The VMOSA process grounds your dreams. It makes good ideas possible by laying out what needs to happen in order to achieve your vision.
  • By creating this process in a group effort (taking care to involve both people affected by the problem and those with the abilities to change it), it allows your organization to build consensus around your focus and the necessary steps your organization should take.
  • The process gives you an opportunity to develop your vision and mission together with those in the community who will be affected by what you do.  That means that your work is much more likely to address the community’s real needs and desires, rather than what you think they might be.  It also means community ownership of the vision and mission, putting everyone on the same page and greatly increasing the chances that any effort will be successful.
  • VMOSA allows your organization to focus on your short-term goals while keeping sight of your long-term vision and mission.

When should you use VMOSA?

So, when should you use this strategic planning process? Of course, it always makes sense for your organization to have the direction and order it gives you, but there are some times it makes particularly good sense to use this process. These times include:

  • When you are starting a new organization.
  • When your organization is starting a new initiative or large project, or is going to begin work in a new direction.
  • When your group is moving into a new phase of an ongoing effort.
  • When you are trying to invigorate an older initiative that has lost its focus or momentum.
  • When you’re applying for new funding or to a new funder.  It’s important under these circumstances to clarify your vision and mission so that any funding you seek supports what your organization actually stands for.  Otherwise, you can wind up with strings attached to the money that require you to take a direction not in keeping with your organization’s real purpose or philosophy.

Let's look briefly at each of the individual ingredients important in this process. Then, in the next few sections we'll look at each of these in a more in-depth manner, and explain how to go about developing each step of the planning process.

Vision (the dream)

Your vision communicates what your organization believes are the ideal conditions for your community – how things would look if the issue important to you were perfectly addressed. This utopian dream is generally described by one or more phrases or vision statements, which are brief proclamations that convey the community's dreams for the future. By developing a vision statement, your organization makes the beliefs and governing principles of your organization clear to the greater community (as well as to your own staff, participants, and volunteers).

There are certain characteristics that most vision statements have in common. In general, vision statements should be:

  • Understood and shared by members of the community
  • Broad enough to encompass a variety of local perspectives
  • Inspiring and uplifting to everyone involved in your effort
  • Easy to communicate - for example, they should be short enough to fit on a T-shirt

Here are a few vision statements which meet the above criteria:

  • Healthy children
  • Safe streets, safe neighborhoods
  • Every house a home
  • Education for all
  • Peace on earth

Mission (the what and why)

Developing mission statements are the next step in the action planning process. An organization's mission statement describes what the group is going to do, and why it's going to do that. Mission statements are similar to vision statements, but they're more concrete, and they are definitely more "action-oriented" than vision statements. The mission might refer to a problem, such as an inadequate housing, or a goal, such as providing access to health care for everyone. And, while they don't go into a lot of detail, they start to hint - very broadly - at how your organization might go about fixing the problems it has noted. Some general guiding principles about mission statements are that they are:

  • Concise . Although not as short a phrase as a vision statement, a mission statement should still get its point across in one sentence.
  • Outcome-oriented . Mission statements explain the overarching outcomes your organization is working to achieve.
  • Inclusive . While mission statements do make statements about your group's overarching goals, it's very important that they do so very broadly. Good mission statements are not limiting in the strategies or sectors of the community that may become involved in the project.

The following mission statements are examples that meet the above criteria.

  • "To promote child health and development through a comprehensive family and community initiative."
  • "To create a thriving African American community through development of jobs, education, housing, and cultural pride.
  • "To develop a safe and healthy neighborhood through collaborative planning, community action, and policy advocacy."
While vision and mission statements themselves should be short, it often makes sense for an organization to include its deeply held beliefs or philosophy, which may in fact define both its work and the organization itself. One way to do this without sacrificing the directness of the vision and mission statements is to include guiding principles as an addition to the statements. These can lay out the beliefs of the organization while keeping its vision and mission statements short and to the point.

Objectives (how much of what will be accomplished by when)

Once an organization has developed its mission statement, its next step is to develop the specific objectives that are focused on achieving that mission. Objectives refer to specific measurable results for the initiative's broad goals. An organization's objectives generally lay out how much of what will be accomplished by when. For example, one of several objectives for a community initiative to promote care and caring for older adults might be: "By 2025 (by when), to increase by 20% (how much) those elders reporting that they are in daily contact with someone who cares about them (of what)."

There are three basic types of objectives . They are:

  • Behavioral objectives . These objectives look at changing the behaviors of people (what they are doing and saying) and the products (or results) of their behaviors. For example, a neighborhood improvement group might develop an objective around having an increased amount of home repair taking place (the behavior) or of improved housing (the result).
  • Community-level outcome objectives . These are related to behavioral outcome objectives, but are more focused more on a community level instead of an individual level. For example, the same group might suggest increasing the percentage of decent affordable housing in the community as a community-level outcome objective.
  • Process objectives . These are the objectives that refer to the implementation of activities necessary to achieve other objectives. For example, the group might adopt a comprehensive plan for improving neighborhood housing.

It's important to understand that these different types of objectives aren't mutually exclusive. Most groups will develop objectives in all three categories. Examples of objectives include:

  • By December 2030, to increase by 30% parent engagement (i.e., talking, playing, reading) with children under 2 years of age. ( Behavioral objective )
  • By 2025, to have made a 40% increase in youth graduating from high school. ( Community -level outcome objective )
  • By the year 2026, increase by 30% the percentage of families that own their home. ( Community-level outcome objective )
  • By December of this year, implement the volunteer training program for all volunteers. ( Process objective )

Strategies (the how)

The next step in the process of VMOSA is developing your strategies. Strategies explain how the initiative will reach its objectives. Generally, organizations will have a wide variety of strategies that include people from all of the different parts, or sectors, of the community. These strategies range from the very broad, which encompass people and resources from many different parts of the community, to the very specific, which aim at carefully defined areas.

Examples of broad strategies include:

  • A child health program might use social marketing to promote adult involvement with children
  • An adolescent pregnancy initiative might decide to increase access to contraceptives in the community
  • An urban revitalization project might enhance the artistic life of the community by encouraging artists to perform in the area

Five types of specific strategies can help guide most interventions . They are:

  • Providing information and enhancing skills (e.g., offer skills training in conflict management)
  • Enhancing services and support (e.g., start a mentoring programs for high-risk youth)
  • Modify access, barriers, and opportunities (such as offering scholarships to students who would be otherwise unable to attend college)
  • Change the consequences of efforts (e.g., provide incentives for community members to volunteer)
  • Modify policies (e.g., change business policies to allow parents and guardians and volunteers to spend more time with young children)

Action plan (what change will happen; who will do what by when to make it happen)

Finally, an organization's action plan describes in great detail exactly how strategies will be implemented to accomplish the objectives developed earlier in this process. The plan refers to: a) specific (community and systems) changes to be sought, and b) the specific action steps necessary to bring about changes in all of the relevant sectors, or parts, of the community.

The key aspects of the intervention or (community and systems) changes to be sought are outlined in the action plan. For example, in a program whose mission is to increase youth interest in politics, one of the strategies might be to teach students about the electoral system. Some of the action steps, then, might be to develop age-appropriate materials for students, to hold mock elections for candidates in local schools, and to include some teaching time in the curriculum.

Action steps are developed for each component of the intervention or (community and systems) changes to be sought. These include:

  • Action step(s): What will happen
  • Person(s) responsible: Who will do what
  • Date to be completed: Timing of each action step
  • Resources required: Resources and support (both what is needed and what's available )
  • Barriers or resistance, and a plan to overcome them!
  • Collaborators: Who else should know about this action

Here are two examples of action steps, graphed out so you can easily follow the flow:

Of course, once you have finished designing the strategic plan or "VMOSA" for your organization, you are just beginning in this work. Your action plan will need to be tried and tested and revised, then tried and tested and revised again. You'll need to obtain feedback from community members, and add and subtract elements of your plan based on that feedback.

Everyone has a dream. But the most successful individuals - and community organizations - take that dream and find a way to make it happen. VMOSA helps groups do just that. This strategic planning process helps community groups define their dream, set their goals, define ways to meet those goals, and finally, develop practical ways bring about needed changes.

In this section, you've gained a general understanding of the strategic planning process. If you believe your organization might benefit from using this process, we invite you to move on to the next sections of this chapter, which explain in some depth how to design and develop your own strategic plan.

Online Resources

Concerns Report Handbook: Planning for Community Health

The Free Management Library  presents a thorough guide to strategic and action planning, plus links to online discussion groups.

Imagining Our Dream Community provides guidance for visualizing your organization's ideal community.

Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Preventing Youth Violence: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Promoting Child Well-Being: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Promoting Health for All: Improving Access and Eliminating Disparities in Community Health

Promoting Healthy Living and Preventing Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Communities

Promoting Urban Neighborhood Development: An Action Planning Guide for Improving Housing, Jobs, Education, Safety and Health

Reducing Risk for Chronic Disease: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

The Ruckus Society  offers an Action Planning Manual that discusses strategies for nonviolent direct action.

Strategice Plan information page from Implementation Matters.

The Strategic Planning Process outlines 8 steps to developing a customized strategic plan for a coalition.

Work Group Evaluation Handbook

Your Action Planning Guide for Promoting Full Community Participation Among People with Disabilities , a resource for independent living centers and other community-based initiatives, from the KU Research & Training Center on Independent Living and the KU Center for Community Health and Development.

Youth Development: An Action Planning Guide for Community-Based Initiatives

Print Resources

Barry, B. (1982).  Strategic planning workbook for non-profit organizations . St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

Bryson, J. (1988).  Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Coover, V., et al. (1985).  Resource manual for a living revolution: a handbook of skills & tools for social change activists . Philadelphia: New Society Publisher.

Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K.., Lewis, R., Williams, E., Harris, K., Winter-Green, K., in collaboration with Bradley, B. & Copple, J. (1992).  Preventing adolescent substance abuse: an action planning guide for community -based initiatives . Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas.

Fawcett, S., Schultz, J., Francisco, V., Cyprus, J., Collie, V., Carson, V., & Bremby, R. (2001).  Promoting urban neighborhood development: An action planning guide for improving housing, jobs, education, safety and health, and human development . Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development.

Halfon, N., Inkelas, M., Rice, T., Sutherland, C., Tullis, E., & Uyeda, K. (2004).  Building State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems. Volume 6: A Strategic Planning Guide for State-Level Early Childhood Systems-Building Initiatives: From Resources to Results for Young Children and Their Families.  Los Angeles: UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities.

Kansas Health Foundation.  VMOSA: An approach to strategic planning . Wichita, KS: Kansas Health Foundation.

Lord, R. (1989). T he non-profit problem solver: a management guide . New York, NY: Praeger Publishers.

Murray, E., & Richardson, P. (2002).  Fast Forward: Organizational Changes in 100 Days . New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Olenick, J., & Olenick, R. (1991).  A non-profit organization operating manual: planning for survival and growth . New York, NY: Foundation Center.

Stonich, P. J. (1982).  Implementing strategy: making strategy happen . Cambridge: Ballinger Publishing Company.

Unterman, I., & Davis, R. (1984).  Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations . New York, NY: CBS Educational and Professional Publishing.

Watson-Thompson, J., Fawcett, S.B., & Schultz, J. (2008).  Differential effects of strategic planning on community change in two urban neighborhood coalitions . American Journal of Community Psychology, 42, 25-38.

Wolff, T. (1990).  Managing a non-profit organization . New York, NY: Prentice Hall Press.

Wolff, T. (2010). The Power of Collaborative Solutions: Six Principles and Effective Tools for Building Healthy Communities . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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This is the first step in starting a strategic plan for your business. Whether your organization is 100 years old or just beginning, this is the first step in strategic plan development. For some organizations, this step will be revisiting and possibly rewriting your mission statement, for others, this will be the first time constructing the statement.

Mission statements should be informational for the leaders, employees, and the customers. The statement should concisely talk about the organization's direction and reason for its existence, and its ideals. The statement should be future looking and not stuck in the here and now. Don't leave yourself at a "dead end with nowhere to turn" with your statement. Be accurately broad minded with the words being used in the statement. An example would be the terminology used for a trucking business. The company is not in the "trucking" business but in the asset relocation business. Do not limit your growth with your mission statement. What if your organization were to grow and incorporate aircraft or drones into its business. Saying you were in the trucking business would not leave room for upcoming technology or other avenues of expansion. By saying you were in asset relocation the organization also could get into internet data systems with expertise in transporting data from one network to another or something along those lines. The point is to be accurate but do not limit your organization with the wrong wording.

There are some organizations that call the mission statement old fashion and have done away with them. Part of the reason is because organizations quit spending time developing their statements, which resulted in generic, bland, useless statements that could fit any organization on a city block. The result from this lack of defining effort was the statement known as the mantra. A mantra statement is one sentence that defines an organization. A great example of a mantra comes from Nike. Nike's "Just Do It," is memorable and says it all – where they are going, what they are inspiring their customer to do, and what they plan for the future – to just do it.

An organization's vision statement is a vivid painting of an organization as it implements its strategic plan. It's a word picture that inspires everyone and does not have to be saddled in the here and now but can be more of a saying that could be found on an inspirational poster for the organization to aspire to.

Value statements are growing in importance, especially in today's dynamic environment where organizations are finding it extremely important for strategic plans to guide their organization in an ever-expanding global market. The value statement is the ideals and beliefs that motivate the leaders and employees of an organization and are the essential priorities behind the leadership's decisions.

The Mission Statement

Everyone knows a company's business plan is important. Without a plan investors will totally ignore you and your business. What can be as important as the business plan is an organization's mission statement. The mission statement is an organization's business plan in a nutshell – a summarizations of goals, philosophies, products, services, technology, etc. – every level of the organization. It should inspire. The statement should have sizzle. It should paint a clear picture for the organization's future. It should use colorful language that portrays positive action and a golden future.

Too many times leaders breeze through or completely overlook the mission statement, or they relegate it to underlings who do not understand every facet of the organization. What happens is the statement is written using simple and vague language. What is written is a mission statement that is generic in nature at best, and could fit any number of organizations. The statement is useless as a tool for employees to know what's important in the organization and where their priorities should be aligned. A generic statement does not provide any useful information to an organization's customers either. Basically, a plain statement that sounds good but does not say anything substantial or informative leaves everyone with their head either buried in the sand or stuck in the clouds – the statement gives no direction. So make sure the mission statement is unique to your organization alone and cannot be used by your competitor. This is a good sign you have a useful mission statement.

In about three sentences, a mission statement should tell everyone, what the business is about, its ideals, and where the organization is headed, and how it plans on getting there. In essence, it explains why an organization exists and its purpose for being there. The statement presents the organization's image to the public. For this reason, time should be taken to ensure the proper words are used that portrays an accurate image of the organization and its future plans. Along the same lines, the phrases used should set an order of priorities for the leaders and employees about the products and services delivered by the organization. Remember, it's a succinct statement that outlines an organization's purpose, plan, and priorities.

Mission Statement Do's and Don'ts

Do use specific language familiar within your organization

Don't use cliché's or slang terms

Do use verbs that will provoke action

Don't use stale language and the words "if" and "of"

Do have a phrase that explains why the organization exists

Don't answer only the" what" of the organization

Do use precise succinct wording

Don't use rambling phrases that leads no where

Do use wording that is memorable and has rhythm and flow

Don't use tongue twisting twaddle

Do create the illusion of an epiphany

Don't be half-witted in the statement

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Good – "Our mission is to be the leading global innovator, developer and provider of cleaning, sanitation and maintenance products, systems, and services. As a team, we will achieve aggressive growth and fair return for our shareholders. We will accomplish this by exceeding the expectations of our customers while conserving resources and preserving the quality of the environment." This is three solid, simple sentences that says where Ecolab INC wants to go and how they are going to get there. It addresses their business and it uses specific language to their business. Their statement uses action verbs and addresses shareholders, employees and customers.

Bad – "McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience." The first sentence starts the statement off with a reasonably clear picture, but then the Golden Arches loses its signal and becomes really hazy with catch phrases and a list of catch words to try and paint a picture, but doesn't really say anything. The last sentence is true McDonald's branding – that sentence has made the fast food restaurant the giant in the industry it is today.

Ugly " The Global Beauty Leader We will build a unique portfolio of Beauty and related brands, striving to surpass our competitors in quality, innovation and value, and elevating our image to become the Beauty company most women turn to worldwide. The Women's Choice for Buying We will become the destination store for women, offering the convenience of multiple brands and channels, and providing a personal high touch shopping experience that helps create lifelong customer relationships. The Premier Direct Seller We will expand our presence in direct selling and lead the reinvention of the channel, offering an entrepreneurial opportunity that delivers superior earnings, recognition, service and support, making it easy and rewarding to be affiliated with Avon and elevating the image of our industry. The Best Place to Work We will be known for our leadership edge, through our passion for high standards, our respect for diversity and our commitment to create exceptional opportunities for professional growth so that associates can fulfill their highest potential. The Largest Women's Foundation We will be a committed global champion for the health and well-being of women through philanthropic efforts that eliminate breast cancer from the face of the earth, and that empower women to achieve economic independence. The Most Admired Company We will deliver superior returns to our shareholders by tirelessly pursuing new growth opportunities while continually improving our profitability, a socially responsible, ethical company that is watched and emulated as a model of success." This is too long, too many catch words and phrases, but it does continuously say Avon wants to be the best.

Vision statements say where your organization is going, hence why the statement is important for the strategic plan. The mission statement is for the here and now and explains why an organization exists. Mission statements are for both employees and customers while the vision statement is written to inspire and provide a roadmap to the future for employees.

Creating the vision statement for your organization is truly the fun part of strategic planning since most of the rules are thrown out the window. Originally, vision statements were written after the strategic plan had been implemented to describe the ideal organization so everyone knew what they were trying to achieve. Today the vision statement has taken on more of the role as a motivational tool organizations use to inspire its employees to achieve idealistic goals that for the most part are hopelessly impossible to achieve. They are simple but inspiring sentences that should say where the organization wants to be in the future, and hopefully provides motivation for the employees to strive for that ideal. The only true rule in writing the vision statement is to keep it clear and concise.

Look at Habitat for Humanity's vision statement – "A world where everyone has a decent place to live." It's a great summarization of the organization's purpose for existence and it says their wish for the future. Vision statements should be vivid, memorable, and that is the reason for keeping it short – it's easier for people to remember. If they begin to ramble and get past eighteen to twenty words then the statement is trying to say too much. The statement should summarize the organization's main goal in an aspirational way. Look at the Human Rights Campaign's vision statement -- "Equality for everyone." Their statement says it all in three words. As noted in the examples, it is okay to dream big in the statement and at the same time the statement shows the real reason both of these organizations were created. So have a brainstorming session and set high standards for your organization with a far-reaching vision statement.

As previously stated, the vision statement tells employees where the organization is heading in the future. For this reason, the statement is important for guiding employees in their decision making so the vision statement must align with the organization's mission statement and overall business plan. Before writing the vision statement, it's important to know where the company stands at that moment – how it stacks up against the competition, the organization's overall health, and its talent pool. Also know the organization's realistic and planned goals for the immediate future. This will enable the statement to outline key objectives for the employees without outlining a how to mantra everyone must follow. This frees up various departments within the organization to write their own plan that fits their specific role to meet the goal set forth in the vision statement.

Here are a few simple rules to follow when writing your vision statement:

Outline goals 5, 10 or even 20 years in the future

Use words that evoke emotion and action

Avoid words and phrases that do not show definite action – hope to, might, would like to…

Use present tense – avoid past tense or future tenses – this is for the here and now to guide into the future.

Value Statement

The value statement guides the organization and gives direction to its decision making process. The organization's values are their beliefs and provide direction to how employees are to act and the type of behavior their decisions, instructions, and actions are to reflect. Values are the virtues the organization desires its employees to adhere to. They are the organization's beliefs and morale qualities that should pervade every fiber of its being.

To begin writing such a statement, a quick survey is needed that should include members of the organization's leadership and management. The questions should simply ask about their beliefs and the morale attributes they adhere to in day-to-day activities. Include questions that ask what morale codes they use when making decisions. Ensure the questions will result in answers that will provide the organization's core values. Once the results are in, each virtue, belief, etc., should be listed and the leadership team should prioritize the answers in order of importance for the organization's value system.

Unlike the vision statement, the organization's value statement does not have to be only one value and sentence. There can be more than one value – there can be many but they should be listed in order of importance. The values should reflect not only the organization's employees, but also its customers, and shareholders. Here is an example of listing values in order of importance. These are from a Mennonite church:

1. We value the Scriptures as our guide to faithful living. 2. We value lifelong spiritual growth in the way of Jesus. 3. We want to be a worshiping community that loves one another. 4. We want to share God's love with others in word and service. 5. We want to be a light of hope here and around the world.

Where the vision statement was written realizing it probably was unattainable, the value statement should be lived and practiced daily in the organization. If the organization does not practice its values, it could end up being another Enron. In November, 1997, Enron bought out a business partner's portion of a company. Enron then sold the stake to a company it created that was ran by an Enron officer. That was how the financial shell game of lies and deceitful financial practices that led to the company's collapse began.

Value statements should guide the organization so it does not become another Enron. The value statement will guide the leadership towards making decisions that properly align with the organization's mission and vision. The organization's values should permeate throughout its activities and help its leadership make ethical decisions that will achieve its mission.

Strategic Planning: Process Design and Action Guidelines

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Strategic Vision: Explained with Examples

vision statement of a strategic plan

A strategic vision is an aspirational description of what an organization wants to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term. It serves as a guide for understanding what the organization stands for and where it’s going. It provides a roadmap for the organization’s future within a specific timeframe, offering a clear and motivating picture of the company’s future.

A well-formulated strategic vision can align members of the organization around a common long-term direction, inspire engagement and commitment, and help guide decision-making and resource allocation at various levels of the organization.

Key components of a strategic vision typically include:

  • Direction:  The vision should indicate where the organization is headed. It can include specific goals or simply point towards a general direction of growth and improvement.
  • Aspiration:  The vision should be ambitious and aspirational, pushing the organization to strive for excellence and overcome challenges.
  • Alignment:  The vision should align with the organization’s values, culture, and business strategy. It should feel like a natural extension of what the organization already does and believes in.
  • Clarity:  The vision should be clear and simple to understand, so everyone in the organization can quickly grasp it and relate it to their own work.
  • Inspiration:  The vision should inspire and motivate people, encouraging them to invest their best efforts in achieving it.

A strategic vision is an important element of overall strategic management. It encompasses all the activities an organization undertakes to align its resources and actions with its mission, values, and vision.

Strategic Financial Management & Planning | With Examples

How to make a strategic vision?

Creating a strategic vision involves a thoughtful and systematic process. While the specifics can vary depending on the organization and its context, a general approach might include these steps:

  • Understand your organization:  Begin by examining your organization’s current situation. This includes understanding your mission (what you do and why you do it), your values (the principles that guide your actions), and your strategic goals (what you’re aiming to achieve).
  • Assess your environment:  Analyze the external environment in which your organization operates. This can include your industry, your competitors, and any technological, economic, social, or political trends that could impact your organization. Tools such as SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) or PESTEL analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal) can be helpful here.
  • Identify key strategic issues:  Based on your understanding of your organization and your environment, identify the key issues your strategic vision will need to address. These might include areas where your organization needs to improve, opportunities you want to take advantage of, or challenges you’ll need to overcome.
  • Develop your vision:  Combine your understanding of your organization, environment, and strategic issues to create a vision for the future. This should be a clear, inspiring statement describing where you want your organization to be. It should be ambitious but realistic and align with your organization’s values and strategic goals.
  • Communicate your vision:  Once you’ve developed your strategic vision, you must communicate it to the rest of your organization. This could involve presenting it at a company meeting, including it in your internal communications, or incorporating it into your training programs. The key is to ensure that everyone in the organization understands and is aligned with the vision.
  • Implement and monitor your vision:  Finally, you’ll need to implement your vision by integrating it into your strategic planning and decision-making processes. You’ll also need to monitor your progress towards your vision, adjusting your strategies based on changes in your environment or organization.

Remember that creating a strategic vision is not a one-time activity. As your organization grows and changes and your environment evolves, you may need to revise your vision to ensure it remains relevant and motivating.

Strategic Business Unit in Strategic Management with Example

Types of strategic vision

Strategic visions can take different forms based on their focus and the specific future scenario they portray. Here are some types of strategic visions:

  • Quantitative visions:  These are visions that focus on achieving certain measurable goals or results. For example, a company might have a vision to increase its market share by a certain percentage or achieve a certain revenue or profitability level.
  • Qualitative visions:  These are visions that focus on less tangible or measurable aspects, such as improving the company’s reputation, enhancing customer satisfaction, or becoming a leader in innovation. They often focus on the intangible aspects of performance and success.
  • Spatial visions:  These focus on physical or geographical goals. A company might have the vision to expand its operations to certain locations, to serve a certain geographical market, or to become a global leader in its industry.
  • Temporal visions:  These visions focus on achieving certain goals within a specific timeframe. For example, a company might aim to become the market leader within five years or to double its size within a decade.
  • Values-based visions:  These visions are based on the organization’s core values and principles. They focus on how the organization wants to conduct its business and interact with its stakeholders. For instance, a company may envision itself as the most ethical player in the industry or aim to make a significant social impact.
  • Scenario-based visions:  These are visions that depict a certain future scenario that the organization wants to bring about. For example, a technology company might have a vision of a future where its products are used in every home, or a health organization might envision a world free of a certain disease.

Note that these types aren’t mutually exclusive, and an organization’s strategic vision could combine elements from several of these types. For instance, a company could have a values-based, qualitative vision to be the most respected player in its industry, a scenario-based vision to revolutionize its industry, and a quantitative vision to increase its market share by 20% – all at the same time.

Everything you need to know about “strategic management”

Examples of strategic vision

Here are some examples of strategic visions from different types of organizations:

  • Microsoft:  “To help people and businesses worldwide realize their full potential.” This is an example of a qualitative vision, focusing on the impact Microsoft aims to have on individuals and businesses.
  • Alibaba:  “To make it easy to do business anywhere.” This vision statement is also qualitative, indicating a desire to simplify business operations for everyone, everywhere, signifying a spatial element as well.
  • Tesla:  “To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.” This is a combination of a scenario-based vision (transitioning the world to electric vehicles) and a temporal vision (being the most compelling car company of the 21st century).
  • Amazon:  “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.” This vision is both quantitative (in terms of the range of products offered) and qualitative (customer-centric).
  • Google (Alphabet):  “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This vision is a combination of qualitative (making information accessible and useful), spatial (the world’s information), and scenario-based elements (organizing information).
  • IKEA:  “To create a better everyday life for the many people.” This vision is largely qualitative, focusing on improving daily life for their customers.

Each of these vision statements provides a clear sense of where the company aims to go and the impact it aims to have. They are ambitious and forward-looking, providing a clear and motivating future that guides decision-making and strategy within the organization.

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How the Vision and Mission Drive Strategic Planning

by Funding For Good | Jan 25, 2022 | Strategic Planning

mission and vision statement

MISSION DRIFT. 

Those two words describe what happens when leaders lose focus and allow the organization to move away from its intended purpose. Mission drift, also called “mission creep,” is like an ocean’s undercurrent that shifts, pushes, and moves people away from their base without them noticing.

Savvy swimmers at the beach stop and evaluate their surroundings, then determine if they want to head back towards their original starting point or go a different direction. In the nonprofit world, it is the role of the board of directors to stop, evaluate, and ensure that the organization remains true to the approved vision and mission .

Vision and mission statements reflect the organization’s core identity and drive strategic planning success in the following two ways:

An organization’s vision and mission statements are more than “just catchphrases” for marketing. Approved vision and mission statements ensure leadership has established “unity and direction.” These two statements are essential to providing context for all goal-setting and action planning.

2. Achieving strategic plan goals requires community support. It is easier to excite and engage community members using core messaging that is current and relevant. Donors want to fund an organization’s impact, not its existence. For this reason, steller messaging and a detailed strategic plan are the most impactful resources in a fundraisers toolkit.

“Strategic planning,” at the most fundamental level, implies that leadership is committed to intentional actions to overcome obstacles and increase impact.

At Funding For Good, we recommend organizations begin the strategic planning process with a “visioning session” that engages leadership at board and staff levels. The session should include an intentional process to create, review, or modify vision and mission statements.

The visioning process ensures leaders fulfill their duties to:

  • Agree on the future impact the organization strives to achieve. (Aka: the VISION)
  • Clarify what the organization does in the present (Aka: the MISSION)
  • Review core statements to determine if they are current and relevant
  • Modify existing statements or craft new statements if needed
  • Approve statements that best define the organization’s purpose and scope.

Acknowledge current realities and needs of the community that the organization was                            founded to serve.

A well-crafted vision and mission statement are essential for internal and external growth. Unified leadership within the organization is easier to achieve when each component of an organization’s strategic plan (goals, strategies, actions) aligns with the organization’s approved vision and mission. At the community level, a nonprofit’s message is everything. What one says and how one says it can either open doors or burn bridges, so it is crucial to get it right.

The best vision and mission statements resonate with the average community member, inspire them to learn more, and motivate them to act. 

The vision and mission statements provide a foundation for all work and words the organization will build upon in the coming years. A nonprofit’s clients, staff, board, and volunteers are ambassadors for the organization. One of the most effective “tools’ you can equip them with is a simple yet powerful message they can share on your behalf- a stellar vision and mission statement!

So how do you know if your vision and mission statement is stellar or if it is time to review and revise it?

Here are a few tips for determining if your vision and mission statement need a facelift.

1. Can your board and staff members quote both statements verbatim by memory?

  • If they cannot do it, it is time to ask, “why not?” Is either statement too long or complicated?

2, Do your board and staff members always “rephrase” the vision/mission statements?

  • If the answer is yes, ask them, “why?” Are the current vision/mission statements ‘too formal, outdated, unclear, or lackluster’? 

3. If a stranger asks you why your organization exists, could you respond using only your vision statement as written?

  • If the answer is no, is it because the statement is worded so that it only resonates with one specific sector of the community? Does it fail to inspire a stranger to engage in your cause?

4. If a stranger asks what your organization does, could you respond using only your mission statement? If not, is your statement too restrictive or too detailed? What information is missing or misleading?

5. If you share your vision/mission statement with a stranger, does it inspire them to say, “Wow… tell me more!” or do they look confused and ask, “Ok… but what exactly do you mean?”

If responses to the “quiz” above reveal that your current vision and mission statements are not as impactful as you would like, it might be time to schedule a visioning session.

Funding for Good encourages nonprofits to use a messaging criterion we call the “Three C’s.”

All messaging should be CLEAR, CONCISE, and COMPELLING.

Before you can craft vision and mission statements that are clear, concise, and compelling, it is crucial to understand the difference between them.

Vision statements should INSPIRE, while mission statements should INFORM.

Vision statements describe where we are going, while mission statements explain how we will get there.

In other words, the vision statement allows you to share the IMPACT your organization creates while the mission emphasizes the “TASKS” your organization completes.

Tips for crafting stellar vision and mission statements :

  • Limit each statement to 35 words or less. 
  • Remember the “Three C’s.” 
  • Make it “T-shirt worthy.” If each statement fits on a t-shirt and makes a powerful statement, people are more likely to remember and share it! 
  • Craft a message that resonates with your neighbors, not just donors or a small sector of the community
  • Use the attributes listed in the chart below to distinguish your vision from your mission statement.

Finally, before your nonprofit begins the crafting process, challenge leadership to complete this simple investigative homework assignment. Ask each board member to complete an internet search to explore “the best/most impactful vision or mission statements.” Encourage them to examine for-profit and nonprofit organizations’ vision and mission statements. They should then select two samples that resonate with them and evaluate what about the content/grammar was impactful.

This simple “prep work” can get the creative juices flowing while reminding board members that short and simple messaging is the most effective approach.

Before the board approves new vision and mission statements, consider taking the top two or three options for a test drive! Request feedback from clients, stakeholders, or strangers to determine which “message” resonates most with your community.

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Strategic Planning: Using Vision, Values, and Mission as a Firm Foundation

By karen o. courtney aia posted 05-30-2019 10:48 am.

Karen O. Courtney headshot

By Karen O. Courtney, AIA, FSMPS, MBA Just like a building has a strong foundation, an architecture firm should have a strategic plan upon which to build its desired future. The critical foundational elements of vision , values , and mission are described and used to set the goals , strategies and tactics needed for success.

Foundational elements of strategic planning

Historically, strategic planning has been a top-down process that uses a vision reflecting the values of upper management or an architecture firm’s founders. This type of strategic planning often caters to short-term results and rarely examines the appropriateness to future conditions or its relevance to all those who have a stake in the organization.

In contrast, the model of today and the future, starts with a vision shared by all those in the organization and is based on values they have in common. It creates the long-term foundation for the firm itself.

Setting forth the vision, values, and mission is the first phase of the strategic planning process. Woven together, they answer a central question: What do we want for our architecture firm in the future?

Vision tells the outside world what the firm, in its “heart of hearts”, wants to be recognized for in the future. It is what the firm sees when they look into their crystal ball. Getting to that point often means bringing values to the surface and being aware of the core beliefs that govern what the firm does and are shared by all who lead or aspire to lead the organization. Taken a step further, these core beliefs can also incorporate the collective values of all members of a firm. Determining them can come observationally from examining the conditions when the firm performs at its best or by facilitating a dialogue of what values all believe are important in doing the company’s work.

Once a firm’s vision is established and its values agreed upon, determining the mission of the organization is next. Mission explains why the organization exists, or put a different way, its purpose or reason for being. A good rule of thumb is a clear mission statement answers the question “Our architecture firm exists to…” and then fills in the blank with the overriding reason why the enterprise was created. Good mission statements should also position an architecture firm in terms of what attracts employees to work there and what draws clients to work with them.

When the building blocks of vision, values, and mission are clear, they can drive a business in a powerful way. A good example from the corporate world is Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. where a basic founding principle and company value was that the company should affect positive societal change. That belief became a measuring stick for all business practices, from procuring raw materials to choosing areas of expansion. And even though Ben & Jerry’s was an early adopter of this founding principle, many companies since then have taken a similarly held belief and used it to drive their business practices. From Tom’s of Maine to TOMS shoes, other businesses have also used the value of positive societal change to create their desired future.

Maximizing strengths and opportunities

Working from the foundation set by vision, values, and mission, the next phase of the strategic planning process is research and analysis. Research is done to have a factual basis for evaluating current conditions like market share, financial performance, and firm utilization metrics, as well as an honest assessment of both competitors and competitive forces. It is important to gather this research before the strategic planning work begins so that decisions can be made from the basis of fact and not simply opinions. From this research, analysis is done next to identify areas where goals should be established to meet the company’s vision.

During the goal setting phase, a “SWOT” analysis is often used, which assesses the company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats , as well as those of the markets it serves and its competition. The idea is to maximize the firm’s own strengths and opportunities and to minimize its weaknesses and threats. From the SWOT process, goals are developed that work toward corrective action or the desired future state. A good goal meets the “SMART” test meaning it is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound . Goals provide the quantitative statements of achievement which, when met, allow an architecture firm to realize its vision.

vision statement of a strategic plan

Goals, strategies and tactics

Moving goals from dreams to reality requires a strategy to get from the present state to the desired state. A strategy describes the general approach to meeting the goals and are akin to paths taken to solve an issue. For every goal, there can often be more than one such path or a blend of two or more. Good strategic planning explores multiple strategic paths and often scenario tests them with changing variables to arrive at the desired strategy.

Once a strategy is selected to meet a specific goal, then additional details are needed to actualize the strategy. These are tactics or the “boots on the ground” action items needed to move a goal toward implementation. Tactics describe the step-by-step action items that must occur for the strategy to be fulfilled. With the tactics identified, more detail is added to completely explain how they are actualized. This next level of development is where necessary resources are identified and can include items like budget, person responsible, key performance indicators, and deadlines to track and measure when the goal has been met.

Taken together, each agreed upon goal now has a detailed plan with a strategy (path forward), and the necessary tactics (action steps), together with the resources needed to meet the strategic plans’ objectives.

After the plan has been operating for approximately 18 to 24 months, an evaluation should be taken of each goal’s performance metrics and the overall strategic plan’s consistency to the vision, values, and mission first identified. Sometimes market conditions can present a situation where a reset is necessary to one of the three driving forces (vision, values, or mission) or to a particular goal. Ownership transitions can also lead to the need to reevaluate the goals set to determine if the new firm leaders have the same priorities.

vision statement of a strategic plan

Common missteps

Establishing the yearly discipline to check the status of the strategic plan and assess its progress is the key to making the strategic planning process work. Too often once the initial work on strategic planning is done, the excitement starts to fade and the goals are forgotten, hence the strategic plan does not fulfill its promise and firms are discouraged from doing it again. The work to actualize the defined goals is hard and typically involves change to the status quo, so attacking this with a tenacious mindset is required. Or as the old saying goes, nothing hard is ever easy!

Problems also arise when part of the process is circumvented. It is common, for example, to concentrate on the procedural steps of goal setting and simply rely on an existing vision, values, or mission without exploring whether they are all still a good fit. When this occurs, a founder’s vision is often used instead of one generated through a group process from the ground-up by current company leaders. This group method uncovers present day common values, and, from the process, a shared vision emerges. However, a ground-up process is not an easy one and often requires help from an outside facilitator to assure that all voices are heard and honored.

Another common misstep is to misjudge both how long the initial phases of strategic planning can take and to forget that the work has only just begun once goals are defined. One to two months is often needed to get the necessary research together so that sound decisions can be made when in the throes of strategic planning. Then the actual development of vision, values, and mission and all the resulting goals to fulfill them can then take another one to two months more. Add in firm-wide communication about the strategic plan and its goals, as they will likely affect many parts and people of a firm, and another month is needed. After all that takes place over three to five months, then the actualizing of the first year’s goals can start in earnest with clear direction and commitment by those assigned to them.

Building commitment

Does it matter where the vision, values, and mission of an architecture firm come from? It does if commitment to the organization’s plan is important. Commitment is enhanced by sharing the experience of defining or reconfirming the three foundational elements of the strategic planning process - a firm’s vision, values, and mission. To create a shared experience could mean getting firm-wide feedback or asking a wide range of employees their thoughts about the future of the company.

Another method of getting commitment is to empower others in the firm by having them participate in the initial goal setting based on the company wide feedback or an initial sense of what needs to be addressed by the company’s leaders. This group is then charged with developing the details needed for the goals to be considered and prioritized during the strategic planning process. The leadership or decision-making group now has the detailed information to better evaluate a well-defined set of goals and give the go-ahead to those most appropriate to fulfilling the vision and time-frame of the strategic plan. It is also a good way to let the next generation of leadership within an architecture firm have a taste of the rigor of research and analysis needed for good business planning.

Commitment brings energy and creativity to a job that compliance never could. Starting strategic planning in the middle of the process and emphasizing the strategy, planning, implementation, and evaluation phases leads to compliance not commitment. Engaging the whole firm at the start of the process with defining or affirming vision, values, and mission is a way to build commitment. And in a business environment in which technical superiority and uniqueness is not necessarily proprietary, and in which competition is intense and international, commitment to the job may become the critical edge that determines who survives.

Vision, values, and mission may seem on such a high plane that they have little relevance to the day-to-day operations of an architecture firm. In reality, they permeate every activity. Worked into the fabric of a company, they provide the vitality for staying competitive in an ever-changing and uncertain future.

Karen O. Courtney, AIA, FSMPS, MBA is the Chief Marketing Officer at Fanning Howey, a design firm dedicated to creating next generation learning environments. She was an integral part of the strategic planning process working for three architecture firms and one engineering consulting firm. Karen led the creation of the first comprehensive strategic plan for the Society for Marketing Professional Services when she served as national SMPS President in 2005. She can be reached at work at [email protected] or 317-848-0966.         Letter from the Editor + Resources >

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  1. How To Write a Vision Statement: Steps & Examples [2023] • Asana

    April 14th, 2023 9 min read Jump to section Summary A vision statement serves as your company's "North Star," motivating your team and guiding your organization as it grows. It's not something to take lightly—a good vision statement should be written collaboratively by multiple company stakeholders and will require a significant time investment.

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    Tom Wright — Published July 14, 2023 The vision statement is the North Star of your overall company strategy, it is where you want to be as a business in the future. A good vision statement acts as motivation for employees and provides guidance on long-term goal setting. Wondering why it matters?

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