by Todd Pheifer

Created on: May 12, 2009

The inspirational vision statement is something that can drive the growth and expansion of an organization. It can become a focal point for a new strategy or plan and over time it can evolve into a force of organizational change. Of course, not all vision statements are inspirational and the poorly written statement can be largely ignored by both customers and company staff. Therefore it is important to craft a document that will actually inspire people to follow it to competition. Here are a few thoughts on how to write an inspirational vision statement.

Language

Obviously, the language of a vision statement is crucial. Words and phrases must be chosen that appeal to people's intellect, but also touch their emotions. The challenge for any company is to make a vision statement that really appeals to people on a personal level. Admittedly, this can be very difficult, considering the fact that many people go to work and may do a good job but don't necessarily "believe" in what they are doing. Therefore, the wording of a vision statement must capture something that goes beyond simply growing a business.

Tangibility

Another challenge with vision statements is that they can tend to be fairly vague. In many cases, quantitative measures are left to smaller goals and objectives. However, if people want a vision statement to "grab" people and be meaningful, it must include elements that are easy to understand and ultimately measurable. That way, people can have certain objectives that are "real" and the organization does not risk having a statement that could be interpreted in a variety of ways.

Brevity and documentation

Vision statements come in all shapes and sizes. In order to write an inspirational statement, organizations should attempt to craft a document that is brief enough to quickly convey a vision for the company without oversimplifying things. In an ideal setting, a vision statement would be short enough that people could learn it and remember it. If the statement is too long, it runs the risk of being put in a drawer or never accessed due to it's cumbersome nature.

Overall, a vision statement with not make an organizational impact without people who will make it part of the environment. Leaders in any organization must take their vision statement and make it part of the company culture, language, and practices. Only then will a vision statement go from eloquent words to an inspirational statement that is a catalyst for change.

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