How to Develop Strategic Planning Vision Statements

Developing a strategic planning vision statement is one of the most important aspects to operating a business properly. In order for a business to be successful, one must recognize the need for direction and planning through an overall goal objective that is shared with the entire company. The following steps should help with making the vision strategic.

Things You'll Need

• Analytical skills Paper to write brainstorming ideas Employee involvement

Instructions

1. Write down what it means to be part of your organization. Everyone who is involved with the company must have some stake in the vision. This means that employees must be fully aware of what it means to be part of the company. Writing down these ideas will begin the process of brainstorming.

2. Get feedback from employees via survey. This will help management to determine how the company is already perceived. It should be short-answer types of questions mixed in with closed-ended questions (e.g., can be answered with yes or no). The survey should be short, perhaps 10 to 15 questions.

3. Make the vision something that deals with the future direction. It should include future aspirations to reach the enhancement of total customer satisfaction. For example, "We strive to be the best world leader in software technology serving small- to medium-sized businesses." This is a statement that describes the goal and the target client.

4. Once a statement is complete, revamp it for long-term lasting value. Most first-draft expressions of a vision will not incorporate a broad enough approach. Therefore, making a sound business decision will be important in this step.

5. Hire or consult with an outside expert. Gaining another perspective could be enlightening for the company to enhance the growth desired through a vision statement. SCORE Association is an option because they are retired professionals of many backgrounds and can be found all over the country (see Resource).

Tips & Warnings

• Take time to prepare the statement, and rewrite for improvements.

• Some employees may not be in alignment with the vision of the company, and it can cause social and productivity issues.

References

• Vision Statements

Resources

• SCORE Association