ir own dreams and aspirations that they want to attain. Successful organizations capitalize on these individual aspirations to build a vision that their people see as their own.

A vision statement is the crucial first step in the long range planning process. When properly developed, the vision statement will set the strategic direction that the organization will take as well as serve as a clarification as to what everyone is working towards. A vision statement helps the organization stay focused on what is the most important. Every organization must have a

Where do you see yourself and your organization 1,5,10 years from now? What do you want to accomplish? What do you and your organization want to be known for? What do you do for a living? These are all very important questions that need to be answered both on a professional and personal level.

People think differently about vision statements. Some people develop them and put them away. Never to be seen again. Some people display them prominently and base every decision on the vision statement. As Stephen Covey says” Always start with the end in mind.” People and organizations need to know where they want to be before they can figure out how to get there. Without a vision statement, people and the organizations they are a part of drift aimlessly through life.

The ability to see the future starts at its earliest time in childhood. Kids are great dreamers. They can visualize themselves in a variety of scenarios. Children also have great imaginations. The one thing that children never do is edit their dreams. Only when we become adults, do we start editing our imagination and dreams. Why does that happen? Various life experiences, good and bad, cause adults to edit their vision for the future. Pressure from peers to have the same vision and perception of success as everyone else may cause us to change our own.

Why are some people and organizations more successful than others? The answer lies in their vision of the future. Successful people and organizations start out feeling that they are in complete control of their future. They feel that opportunities are endless and even though they are realistic about the amount of work the vision will take to achieve, they are determined to do what it takes to attain it.

Who should help build an organization’s vision? The people in the organization who are responsible for making things happen must be instrumental in the formulation of the vision statement. Let us not forget that, first and foremost, an organization is a collection of individuals. Traditionally, an organization has been thought of as a legal entity or a thing. This is far from the truth! An organization is a living and breathing entity made up of living and breathing individuals. Individuals who each have their own dreams and aspirations that they want to attain. Successful organizations capitalize on these individual aspirations to build a vision that their people see as their own.

A vision statement is the crucial first step in the long range planning process. When properly developed, the vision statement will set the strategic direction that the organization will take as well as serve as a clarification as to what everyone is working towards. A vision statement helps the organization stay focused on what is the most important. Every organization must have a

le and organizations need to know where they want to be before they can figure out how to get there. Without a vision statement, people and the organizations they are a part of drift aimlessly through life.

The ability to see the future starts at its earliest time in childhood. Kids are great dreamers. They can visualize themselves in a variety of scenarios. Children also have great imaginations. The one thing that children never do is edit their dreams. Only when we become adults, do we start editing our imagination and dreams. Why does that happen? Various life experiences, good and bad, cause adults to edit their vision for the future. Pressure from peers to have the same vision and perception of success as everyone else may cause us to change our own.

Why are some people and organizations more successful than others? The answer lies in their vision of the future. Successful people and organizations start out feeling that they are in complete control of their future. They feel that opportunities are endless and even though they are realistic about the amount of work the vision will take to achieve, they are determined to do what it takes to attain it.

Who should help build an organization’s vision? The people in the organization who are responsible for making things happen must be instrumental in the formulation of the vision statement. Let us not forget that, first and foremost, an organization is a collection of individuals. Traditionally, an organization has been thought of as a legal entity or a thing. This is far from the truth! An organization is a living and breathing entity made up of living and breathing individuals. Individuals who each have their own dreams and aspirations that they want to attain. Successful organizations capitalize on these individual aspirations to build a vision that their people see as their own.

A vision statement is the crucial first step in the long range planning process. When properly developed, the vision statement will set the strategic direction that the organization will take as well as serve as a clarification as to what everyone is working towards. A vision statement helps the organization stay focused on what is the most important. Every organization must have a

us life experiences, good and bad, cause adults to edit their vision for the future. Pressure from peers to have the same vision and perception of success as everyone else may cause us to change our own.

Why are some people and organizations more successful than others? The answer lies in their vision of the future. Successful people and organizations start out feeling that they are in complete control of their future. They feel that opportunities are endless and even though they are realistic about the amount of work the vision will take to achieve, they are determined to do what it takes to attain it.

Who should help build an organization’s vision? The people in the organization who are responsible for making things happen must be instrumental in the formulation of the vision statement. Let us not forget that, first and foremost, an organization is a collection of individuals. Traditionally, an organization has been thought of as a legal entity or a thing. This is far from the truth! An organization is a living and breathing entity made up of living and breathing individuals. Individuals who each have their own dreams and aspirations that they want to attain. Successful organizations capitalize on these individual aspirations to build a vision that their people see as their own.

A vision statement is the crucial first step in the long range planning process. When properly developed, the vision statement will set the strategic direction that the organization will take as well as serve as a clarification as to what everyone is working towards. A vision statement helps the organization stay focused on what is the most important. Every organization must have a

are determined to do what it takes to attain it.

Who should help build an organization’s vision? The people in the organization who are responsible for making things happen must be instrumental in the formulation of the vision statement. Let us not forget that, first and foremost, an organization is a collection of individuals. Traditionally, an organization has been thought of as a legal entity or a thing. This is far from the truth! An organization is a living and breathing entity made up of living and breathing individuals. Individuals who each have their own dreams and aspirations that they want to attain. Successful organizations capitalize on these individual aspirations to build a vision that their people see as their own.

A vision statement is the crucial first step in the long range planning process. When properly developed, the vision statement will set the strategic direction that the organization will take as well as serve as a clarification as to what everyone is working towards. A vision statement helps the organization stay focused on what is the most important. Every organization must have a

ir own dreams and aspirations that they want to attain. Successful organizations capitalize on these individual aspirations to build a vision that their people see as their own.

A vision statement is the crucial first step in the long range planning process. When properly developed, the vision statement will set the strategic direction that the organization will take as well as serve as a clarification as to what everyone is working towards. A vision statement helps the organization stay focused on what is the most important. Every organization must have a vision statement that clearly describes what the future needs to look like. The organization’s vision statement must not be the vision of one person but the collective vision of the people who are responsible for attaining it.

Developing, displaying and making the vision statement the basis for every decision in the organization will make the answer to the question “What do we want to be when we grow up? “ a reality for your organization.