Most large businesses understand the value of having a mission and vision. It’s an established best practice to communicate a company’s goals to employees and management, guide its strategy and measure success. A carefully crafted vision helps inspire strategic decision making and product development for your business for years to come.

But these same benefits are true for mid-size and small businesses too. Size does NOT matter – having a vision is essential to be able to communicate a picture of the future of your business that others can see, understand and support. A vision helps motivate people into action – even if that person is just you and a small team!

Ready to get started? Or if you already have a vision statement, ready for a refresher? Here are 6 key characteristics to include in your vision and strategy discussion.

6 Key Characteristics to Developing an Effective Vision and Strategy

1. Be sure your vision tells a story that people can imagine. Can they see it? Can they see themselves in the story? Does it create a story they can share with others?
2. Appeal to the long-term interests of your key stakeholders. What do they care about? How are their personal values tied to your future?
3. Be sure people believe it’s possible.
4. It’s exciting. People are excited to hear about it, talk about it, and share it with others. That excitement builds momentum that begins to shift culture and align behaviors to help you get there.
5. The vision helps to identify what people should be focused on and what they should prioritize and let go of.
6. It’s flexible enough to remain relevant for a few years even when shifts in the industry, technology and customer needs take place.

As you read through these 6 characteristics, how does your company vision and strategy hold up? And if you don’t have one already, are you using these guidelines to begin crafting it in your mind? We hope this blog post prompts you to engage in crucial conversations about your vision and strategy, where you’re heading, and how to ensure they are compelling enough to propel your company into the future. If you need any help getting started, don’t hesitate to contact us to jump start your planning https://www.powersresourcecenter.com/contact/