Many startups and SMEs shy away from formulating a vision, as it is something that is often associated with large businesses. And yet quite a few companies prove that a vision that is genuine and put into practice is an important basis for sustained business success. It gives the activities of those involved a long-term, overarching purpose: entrepreneurs, employees and partners can focus on a long-term objective. A vision should not just be imagined; rather, it should be set out in writing, communicated, carried through and, above all, put into practice.
The French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry expressed the notion of a vision as follows: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”
Where And How Do We Want To Be In The Future?
A vision is directed “inwards”, i.e. it paints a future picture of the company as seen through the eyes of the entrepreneur(s). The vision:
- is the source of your business activities
- sets the basic direction in which the company aims to evolve
- says how your company should look in the future
- is a long-term, forward-looking picture of your company
The time horizon is generally infinite. To enable it to be implemented successfully, however, the vision should be unique and unmistakeable, fit with the company’s development, express your company’s social and moral responsibility and, in particular, be credible.
Examples
A pragmatically articulated vision could be structured as follows: “In 10 years, we will be the clear “world champion” by virtue of our … (key offering) for our … (dream customers) in the … (geographical market), as our … (advantages, customer benefits 1., 2., 3., etc.) make us unique.”
Or, summed up in one sentence:
- “We will be the European market leader for IT-supported translation processes.”
- “We create experiences out of wood.”
- “Our vision is: to be the leader in every market we serve.”
- “Europe’s most used platform for holiday bookings in hotels.”
- “We want to be the global leader in breast cancer diagnostics.”
- “We make 3D content design as simple as recording a video.”
- “As an innovation leader in aerial robotics, we offer our customers around the globe cost and time savings, safety and fun.”
