Which of these tells you more about where this business is headed:
The Difference Between A Mission Statement And A Vision Statement
Most companies think about their mission and vision statements in technical terms.
A mission statement focuses on what the organization does (and, sometimes, why they do it). It answers the questions: What do we do? Who do we serve? How do we serve them?
A vision statement focuses on what you want the company to become. The intention is to give the team clarity of the direction of the business and inspire them to get there. In other words, it gives them a purpose.
But a study published in The Harvard Business Review revealed that only:
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1 in 5 team members feel excited, motivated, and proud of the work they do at their company
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28% of team members feel fully connected to the company’s purpose
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39% of them clearly see the value the create
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22% feel their roles allow them to fully leverage their strengths
So what’s going on?
Here’s Why Vision And Mission
Statements Fall Flat
Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future’
Can you remember the last time you were inspired by a vision or mission statement? Let’s be honest, most are boring because the company:
- Is trying to please everyone
- Uses technical jargon over clear inspirational copy
- Doesn’t actually know where they want to go
The result: a bland run-on sentence that lives on your website which no one remembers.
A business that knows where it’s going is more likely to get there, however, and it’s even likelier if that business can communicate where it plans to go in a way that inspires the whole team to push towards that vision.
In fact, a study that surveyed 183 entrepreneurs, whose businesses had an average revenue of $2.5 million, the average growth of those with a vision versus those without was more than double.
But it’s up to the entrepreneur, CEO, or founder to communicate that vision to the people who are needed to make it a reality.
How To Create A Vision Your Entire Team Can Rally Behind
In 1997, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?’s revenue had stalled at $1M for eight years. CEO Brian Scudmore, and COO Cameron Herold, didn’t know what to do. But a few years later, they turned the business into a $100M multinational company that appeared on Oprah, was featured in aHarvard Business Case Study, and was listed as the second best workplace culture in Canada.
What helped guide them was what Cameron called a Vivid Vision, and it transformed their lives so much that he wrote a book called, Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future.
In it, he discusses how mission statements don’t do much to motivate employees, inspire customers, or attract investors/partners, and instead shares how a clear and compelling Vivid Vision can help you:
- Recruit the right people, who aren’t just excited to work with you, but are inspired by the vision you have for your company
- Align your current team with your goals and where the company is headed, so they can see their part in the equation
- Show up and lead your team with total confidence, and stay motivated even in the most challenging circumstances
A Vivid Vision is a document that differs from regular mission or vision statements by painting the picture of what your company will look like in the future as if it’s already happened, so anyone you share it with can literally see and feel the vision.
You can use it to inspire your team, attract top talent, and get partners/vendors/customers enrolled in where you’re headed.
For example, let’s say you run a community bank in a small rural area. Here’s what a normal mission or vision statement would look like:
Mission Statement: We strive to help our customers live better lives by making sound financial decisions.
Vision Statement: We are the go-to financial institution for residents who are moving forward in their lives, and local business owners who are growing and need our help.
But here’s what a Vivid Vision would look like:
It’s December 31st, 2023 and Grand City Community Bank has helped small businesses in our local communities create jobs, grow sustainably, and provide hope for the people of our state.
Through innovative solutions that go above and beyond the traditional bureaucratic norms of the financial industry, and a relentless commitment to serving our customers’ best interests, we’ve not only spurred economic growth…
Our remarkable team has come together to create a culture in which our customers feel supported, and know that we’re partners in their success; they’ve finally found a bank that “gets them.”
This gives anyone who should be aligned with your vision a clear picture of what that vision is. To see more in-depth examples, you can click here.
Sure, you can still write up a mission or vision statement, but a Vivid Vision is quite possibly the most important document your business is missing.
How To Write A Vivid Vision For Your Company
If you’d like to create a Vivid Vision for your company, here are several resources to help you get started:
The Vivid Vision Mind Map™
This guide will give you a template you can use to begin crafting your Vivid Vision. It contains question prompts for you to follow and examples to reference.
Step-By-Step “How To Write A Vivid Vision” Blog Post
At Vision Driven, we’ve helped 300+ companies create their Vivid Vision: a document that paints a picture of what your company looks and feels like three years into the future, as if it’s already happened. If you want to write one for your business, we’ve taken hundreds of entrepreneurs through this easy-to-follow Vivid Vision Process™.
https://www.visiondrivenglobal.com/vivid-vision-examples
13-Point Vivid Vision Checklist
Use this checklist when running through the process above to paint a crystal clear picture of what your company looks like in three years. This 13-point Vivid Vision checklist will ensure each part of your vision document is rich with detail, so anyone reading knows exactly where the business is headed.
https://www.visiondrivenglobal.com/vivid-vision-checklist
Vision Clarity Call
When it comes to designing your business’ vision, it’s incredibly valuable to have an expert walk you through the process. That’s why at Vision Driven, we’ve developed our proven, signature Vivid Vision Method™, and you can click here to schedule a Vision Clarity Call to go over the process:
STEP 1: THE VIVID VISION MIND MAP™
From your company’s core values and culture to marketing and financials, we’ll guide you through the 12 key areas of your company by mapping out what you want it to look like.
STEP 2: EXPAND YOUR VISION
Our Vivid Visioneers will interview you (the Founder or CEO) on your three year vision. We’ll dig deep to help you get crystal clear about what you want each area of your company to look, feel, and sound like—but as if you’ve already achieved it. We’ll help you sort your thoughts so you can simply show up and share.
STEP 3: COPY CREATION
Our team of seasoned Vivid Vision copywriters will help craft your vision and make the words pop off the page. We make the vision clear, powerful, and exciting, so your team, clients, partners, etc., get inspired to help you make it happen.
STEP 4: YOUR VIVID VISION IMAGERY
After the copy is complete, our Vivid Vision Design Team will breathe life into your vision with a beautiful, on-brand design, putting powerful images to the words for your personalized Vivid Vision.
STEP 5: YOUR VIVID VISION ROLLOUT
The final product is a custom, 5-6 page Vivid Vision document. It will get your emotions racing with excitement when you, your team, your customers, and your vendors read it. We’ll also share best practices on rolling out your Vivid Vision in your organization, infusing it into your culture, and where to start on executing it.
The Vivid Vision is the most important document your company might be missing, and if you’re ready to turn your vision into a reality, and want to know more about how The Vivid Vision Process™ works, you can click here to see how Vision Driven can guide you through the same process we’ve used to help several hundred businesses create their very own Vivid Vision.
