The vision statement for a business can help align team members in the creation of processes and projects supporting the overall mission of the organization.
However, the organization can’t simply have a vision statement and expect employees to know what the business wants to achieve and how they want to achieve it.
The company vision needs to be shared, top to bottom, throughout the organization and shared frequently. Every individual in the organization needs to understand the vision, and only then can everyone understand how their work contributes and feel valuable.
Mission vs. Vision
During organizational development meetings with a client, we are often asked, “What’s the difference between mission and vision?”
There are many well-worded definitions out there, but we’ve tried to give you our real-world explanation here.
Mission:
A mission is the absolute destination that never changes. It describes the business’s purpose for existing. Usually, mission statements are brief, action-oriented statements that outline what the business hopes to accomplish. Mission statements do not typically change.
Vision:
A vision is a general statement of how you will get to your destination, how you will achieve the mission. It gives the company direction. A vision statement is what you want to become and helps to create an image of the idealized business in the future. It’s an aspirational statement. Vision statements can change. They often do change every few years as the company grows and evolves.
Communicating the Vision Motivates the Team
Communicating the vision of a business is incredibly important to succeed. However, quite often, the vision is clear in the minds of the owner or leaders, but it doesn’t get communicated throughout the team members, and if it is not talked about, then it’s not part of your employee’s daily work life.
When the vision is talked about frequently, that repetition underscores how important these ideas are, and your team will pay attention.
Leadership should talk about the vision every day. When the staff understands how their work activities contribute to the goals of the company, then it is more likely that they will understand how their role is important, and it will help them feel valued.
When shared and talked about frequently, a company’s vision is a powerful motivator. The team will feel a common overarching big picture goal, and each person on your teams will feel connected.
Company Vision Helps Decision Making
When the vision is clear, you give your team the ultimate tool for decision making.
When the vision is shared, all team members have a shared direction. It is a uniting force and a guidepost for corralling differing opinions and attitudes. It provides support for hesitant coworkers to speak up and participate in discussions.
The vision not only guides the team, but also outlines how we make decisions. This is how we prioritize. Then the team knows why they are being told “no” or “yes” to their great ideas: “Well, this takes us away from our vision …”
Creating Your Vision with Excelerant
When the company vision is talked about frequently in the everyday work life, all the parts of the company can work in sync knowing how each supports each other towards the common mission.
The professionals at Excelerant can help in the creation of your vision statement to strengthen your company from the inside, out.
Jill Meaux, MS, CPLP, ACC – Jill is an expert in organizational and people development. She partners with clients to implement customized solutions to enhance performance and achieve critical business goals. Jill holds internationally recognized credentials in designing, measuring, and evaluating learning initiatives, along with improving human performance and facilitating organization change. She works with leaders at every level of an organization to identify goals, establish clear expectations, and develop the communication and leadership skills needed to achieve success.