You may have read on the home page that I began with little knowledge of business. I glided along on talent and luck creating beautiful patios, bathrooms, and decorative walls, never knowing I should write a vision statement. I also had no idea that my market was about to dry up. What happened was that I was an employee rather than an owner. Yes, the business was mine, but I acted as though I was working for someone else. That didn’t work out so well when the housing market all but disappeared. These days I’m dedicated to helping others in similar situations become aware of their surroundings and become sustainable for the long term. A business should have a strong foundation.
You have a mission, and you know what you do, and how to do it. Do you know why you’re doing what you’re doing? A vision statement is about the “why.” You know your job and perform it’s duties well, but do you know why you’re business exists? Whether it’s for profit or some other goal, there is a reason. If you or the stakeholders (i.e.: investors, employees, customers, community at large, etc.) don’t know why you do what you do, they may not have a good enough reason to work for, or buy from you. I like to know why I’m doing something; otherwise what’s the point. Have you ever worked for a company where you were just a body with a pulse? How much effort did you put in to your job? If you had known that the product or service you were providing had a purpose behind it, would you have worked harder? If the purpose were something you deeply cared about would you work harder even if your job was to keep the glue machine from going empty at the paper bag factory?
The reasons for developing a vision statement are simple. It gives you and all your help a clear view of the long range direction of the company, and the big purpose behind all the hulabaloo. It will describe your ultimate goal.
You vision statement will give you the basis for decision making. Without an anchor point to guide the direction of the company, decisions can be made on whatever criteria happens to strike your fancy at the moment. It can serve as guide for the decisions of lower ranking tactical chiefs as well. If the people in the trenches don’t know the reason for what it is they do, the likelihood of unhappy employees will be higher. Keeping the end goal in mind is everybody’s job, not just yours.
Vision statements help a company prepare for the future. Are you and employees laying the groundwork to see the vision become reality? If the day to day activities of the business are not congruent with the vision, you might be off course. Get back on track and you will find that gold.