In a previous post, Visions that Inspire Right Action, I talked about the purpose of vision and how a great vision informs teamwork. How do you actually write a great vision?
Ask yourself or your team the following questions and put the answers in a bullet list. Edit and organize for readability. There’s your vision. I find the best visions are typically one-half to full-page in length.
- What specifically do we want to achieve?
- List 3-10 very specific end-state qualities.
- Introduce these with a sentence that explains when the work will be accomplished.
For example, “Within the next 5 years, our team will have [created, accomplished]…”
- What will be different as a result of our work?
- List several impacts of your work. For example, in the lives of the people who use your services, on processes within your organization, on your organization’s product line or offering, in the larger community, marketplace or global context in which your work is conducted.
- Introduce this information with something like, “As a result of our work…”
- What will people say about our work? (e.g., media, community, competitors, customers or other people in your organization)
- Conclude your vision with some headlines of what you imagine significant stakeholders
will say if your work is successful and well-received.
- Conclude your vision with some headlines of what you imagine significant stakeholders
