In our last post we outlined what vision and mission statements are and we discussed the benefits and purposes they will serve in your business. In this article we shall show you how to craft outstanding and effective vision and mission statements.
Vision Statement
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed; close your eyes and relax. Use this time to visualize how your business will be in the future say in 10 years’ time. Let your imagination run wild and do not restrict your mind. Just allow it flow.
Write down all you imagined. How big your business is? How large your client base is? How many staff you have? How big your head office building is? How important your business is in your community? Whatever it is you think, write it down.
Collate vision statements of other companies and review them so as to understand their styles. Looking at a number of examples may help you focus in on a singular vision for your own business.
Create a list of your business’s goals and principles as the first step in your vision statement process.
Now develop a sample vision statement which fits your visualization and your specific goals, and the public profile you want to create Write at least five variations of the vision statement.
Review these draft vision statements several times to determine which one is an accurate description of where you are going and how you intend to get there. You can utilize friends, family and colleagues in different industrial sectors to test out the effectiveness of your vision statement in getting people interested in your company.
Once you are satisfied with the feedback and you have drafted the final copy, your vision statement is ready to be publicized.
Promote your vision statement in every document that you distribute from your company. Write in a big frame and place it in a strategic place in your premises where is it visible to everyone both staff and client.
Remember your vision statement is not set in stone; revise and expand it as your achievements and goals grow. Communicate your vision statement to all your staff and make sure that they understand and imbibe the spirit of your vision statement.
Make your vision statement big but realistic. Use your vision statement to stay on track and help motivate on days it is needed. Begin with the end in mind, and work backwards.
Mission Statement
Set aside enough time to fully develop your mission statement, an entire day if necessary. Your mission statement will undergo several revisions as you continue to draft it. That is a normal part of the process.
Start with your vision statement to develop your mission statement. Companies with a clear vision have the basis for formulating a concise, action-oriented mission statement.
Study the mission statements of successful businesses. Doing so will allow you to gain an understanding of what well-written mission statements look like.
Determine why you are in business. Think about the nature of your company or organization .Ask yourself critical questions about your overall purposes and goals, what customers you serve, and how you plan to be unique in the market. Write these answers down for raw material of your mission statement.
Create a draft mission statement of 30 to 50 words. You can have at least five variations of the draft just as you did with your vision statement. Explicitly define your business and address your company’s aspirations. State your dedication to your customers and to quality performance along with any other principles and beliefs that are of importance. The mission statement needs to describe why the organization exists.
Review your mission statement with colleagues in order to get input from them. Rewrite or revise your mission statement if necessary after getting requested feedback. Take time to reflect on what you have written, gather input and make appropriate changes.
Keep your mission statement short enough to be remembered and strong enough to be inspiring. It should go straight to the point. Although your mission statement might apply to people inside your business, most of these documents are designed to educate people outside the business, i.e. potential customers or clients. Understanding this can really help you write a competent business mission statement.
A mission statement may be revised as the environment and organization changes, but an effective mission statement stands the test of time.