As a leader you need to provide your team with direction and purpose. One way you can do this is by defining a vision for your team. A vision captures what your organization wants to achieve.

Toastmasters International provides a “Visionary Leader” educational about having a vision for your team, which you can find here. There are a lot of great ideas in this manual, and I am going to explore those ideas in this article.

Example Visions

A vision captures the essence of what your organization is striving to achieve. It is a compelling statement that people can get behind. A strong vision also leads to goal setting, and setting and achieving the rights goals will bring your vision to fruition.

Here are some vision statements from different organizations:

• Toastmasters International: To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential communication and leadership skills development.
• Rotary: Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

These are powerful vision statements that capture what Toastmasters International and Rotary members are working to achieve. They give a compelling picture of what both organizations are striving to create.

Characteristics of a Vision Statement

When you have a vision for your team, it helps to articulate that vision in a vision statement. And a good vision statement has the following characteristics:

• A vision statement should be clear and easy to understand. People should know exactly what the organization wants to achieve without being confused or unclear about what the vision entails. For example, the Toastmasters International vision statement makes it clear that Toastmasters International wants to be the first choice when people are choosing an organization that provides communication and leadership training.
• A vision statement should also be challenging. It should lead to lofty but achievable goals. Goals that stretch people beyond their comfort zones and that challenge them to adapt and grow to achieve that vision statement. For example, the Rotary vision calls for lasting change. To embrace this vision, people need to change.
• A vision statement should also be general. It shouldn’taddress specifics, such as increasing revenue or market share. For example, the Toastmasters vision is about being the first choice for communication or leadership training, which is a general goal, and it does not get into specifics about how to achieve that goal.
• A vision statement should be inspiring. When people read your vision statement, they should be excited and want to bring that vision to fruition. They should be inspired to want to achieve that vision.
• A vision statement should also be easily communicated. This means it should be simple to explain. Don’t include jargon or difficult concepts in your vision statement. Keep it simple so everyone can understand and get behind your vision.

Creating the Vision Statement

When creating a vision statement, involve your team. Get their input on what the vision should be. This will help them to feel ownership of the vision and to commit to working to achieve the vision.

Involving your team in the creation of the vision has several benefits:

• When people have a say and get to contribute to the creation of your organization’s vision statement, they will have more of a willingness to achieve that vision A team will be more willing to help if team members participated in the vision’s development.
• When you involve people in the creation of the vision, they have the ability to control their own futures. A leader provides team members some control over their own futures by soliciting their input. This means that your team can influence the direction and decisions of your organization by directly contributing to your organization’s overarching goal which is articulated by the vision statement that you and your team create.
• Involving your team also fosters cooperation and collaboration. Team members will be more aware that they can achieve the vision through cooperation and collaboration, which will make them a better team.

Don’t forget that the purpose of a vision statement is to provide a general direction for your organization. It is not about the details of how you will get there. You can create details later by defining goals that will bring the vision to fruition.

Communicating A Vision

Leaders are responsible for communicating their vision clearly and in terms the team can understand. When communicating the vision, you must ensure that:

• People understand how they vision influences their daily activities.
• Your team understands their role in the vision.
• Your team knows how to bring the vision to fruition.

To communicate a vision effectively and help team members embrace it:

• Communicate the vision and share it with people on a regular basis. This keeps the vision in mind so people stay inspired and remember what the team is working towards. For example, you can state the vision in newsletters, at conferences, and in other publications. You could also review the vision statement in monthly or quarterly meetings.
• Don’t just communicate what the vision is. Also explain how the vision will benefit the people you are sharing it with. People are more likely to support something if they will personally benefit in some way.
• When communicating your vision, be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is contagious and will encourage people to embrace the vision. You want your team and your stakeholders to be just as excited about the vision as you are.
• You also need to show that you mean it. A vision statement can be powerful, but only if people believe in it. If you cannot demonstrate that you buy in to the vision, then other people won’t buy in to the vision either. One way to show that you mean it is through your actions. Your actions must be consistent with your vision. The right actions show others that you are intent on achieving the mission.

One final step in bringing the vision to fruition is to ask your team members to commit to achieving the vision. When you ask them and they make a promise to follow through on the vision, they are more likely to work to help you to achieve that vision. So be sure to not only communicate the vision, but to ask your team to help you achieve that vision.

Visions Change Over Time

Creating a vision is not a set it and forget exercise. As you work towards achieving your vision, you may find that your organization’s needs or goals change. This means that you need to review and adapt your vision to accommodate these changes. This keeps you flexible and adaptable to the evolving needs of your organization and its stakeholders.

When working to change or update your vision, remember to involve your team in the crafting of your updated vision statement. You worked with them to create the original vision, so now you need to involve them in shaping and updating the vision. Have your team review how your organization’s needs and goals have changed and get them to contribute ideas as to what the new or updated vision should be.

Conclusion

A vision statement captures and articulates the purpose of your organization. It is an inspiring and compelling statement with a general focus on where you want your organization to go. It should not focus on the details.

Crafting a truly effective vision statement is a team effort. By involving your team in creating and shaping the organization’s vision, they will buy into the vision and be more committed to achieving it. It will also be a stronger vision statement because you will have more than your own perspective to apply to the vision that gets created.

An organization with a vision is much more likely to succeed than an organization with no vision. This vision gives your organization direction and purpose. And it leads to goals that will bring that vision to fruition.

My challenge to you as a leader is to work with your team to create a compelling vision for your organization. And communicate this vision regularly. A compelling vision is a great motivator and will keep your team moving forward.