Business Development: Strategic Planning

with Meridith Powell

Developing Your Vision

To develop your vision, your dream for your company, it’s time to think big. Do some soul-searching. Consider
where you want your company to be in the next three, five, or ten years.

Here are examples to get you started:

Microsoft – “a computer on every desk and in every home”

Nike – “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”

McDonald’s – “to be the world’s best quick service restaurant experience”

Visions can be directly about your business, the services you provide or not.

Oxfam – “a world without poverty”

First Citizens Bank – “to help our clients achieve a lifetime of success”

Either way your vision statement should be:

• Concise
• Inspiring
• Stable
• Challenging
• Reflective of the purpose of the company
Here are some questions to get you thinking:

1. What do we want to accomplish, do, achieve?

2. How do we help our clients?
3. What problems – client, community, world – do we solve?
4. What are our strengths?
5. How do we improve the lives of our customers, employees, community?
6. What is our dream for our company?
7. What specifically do we do to make a difference?
8. In five years, what impact do we want our company to have made?
9. Where do we make the biggest impact – community, customers, employees?
10. What does our company stand for?

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With those questions answered, it is time to write your first draft. Getting your vision right will take more than
a few times, so enjoy the process.

Vision Worksheet

1. Look at the answers to your questions, and see what themes or phrases you repeated or referred to?

2. Now take those and answer this question at least five times:
In five years, we will have?

3. Now review it and see what else you want to add – customers, employees, community?

4. Write it again. Then repeat this process as many times as you need to until you come up with a phrase
that makes you feel inspired, strong, and motivated.

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