Creating a Vision

As soon as you have begun visioning, you must crystallize your vision with a powerful vision statement. A vision statement is a description of a future. Not the future, but rather a future, a possible future, for which you are willing to take a stand, to strive, to work, and to build your institution. The foundation for your planning process, in fact, the foundation for your institution is your vision of the future and a description of what your institution will look like in the future. A vision gives meaning to an organization’s existence and to all those who share this vision. Before you spend your time on strategies, financial planning, etc., you need to focus on the vision of who and what you want to become. Your vision, when crystallized will act as a source of inspiration and as a guiding light for you and for ever\one else in your organization. It is easy to develop vision statements. You can probably come up with one for your institution very quickly. It is difficult, however, to generate a powerful vision statement.

A powerful vision statement is vivid. You can see, hear, taste, feel, and smell it. It is easy to understand, as well as exuberant and alive. It is filled with possibilities that do not currently exist. A powerful vision statement gives energy and inspires action. It describes a future worth expending energy for; worth being tired for; worth resolving conflicts for; worth devoting part of your life for. A powerful vision statement is generative. It sparks creative ideas and thoughts you did not have before. It generates ideas for new avenues of action, unexpected possibilities, new relationships, unanticipated resources. Q powerful vision statement is not random dreaming; it is an exercise in focused visualization, a technique that has helped develop winners for decades.

Once formulated, your vision statement is something that you can revisit over and over again. It will help you to return to the purpose of your work, to soothe your frustrations, to place your setbacks in context. A carefully crafted vision can add joy and purpose to all your efforts.

Your vision statement is your statement of expression of potential. It is a description of what your and your institution can become, and when effectively communicated, it provides common focus. The only wrong vision statement is one that is developed to please someone else, or one that is written for the wrong reason, or by the wrong person or persons. The right vision statement for you should excite you, give your work meaning and worth, and express much of what you see to be your purpose.

Your vision will inspire and energize you when it depicts a future that is better, brighter, and more fulfilling than the present. Vision makes a difference!