Why Vision Statements are Hard to Write (And How to Make it Easier)

In the past few weeks, I’ve facilitated strategic planning discussions with two different organizations, both of which included the development of new vision statements. The process made me reflect on both the importance of a vision statement to an organization’s direction, and the challenge many boards have developing one that is effective.

 Why Vision Statements are Important

When developing a vision statement, one person or more invariably questions why the process is important. My answer is that a strong vision statement is your organization’s magnetic north.

A strong vision statement explains the impact your organization will have. It is your ultimate destination as an organization. When you are determining how you get from where you are now to where you want to be, which is the strategic planning process, it provides that destination. And as we all know, if you do not have a destination, any path will get you there. It is impossible to do effective strategic planning without clearly articulating your very long-term goal.

A strong vision statement answers the question of “why” you exist as a non-profit. When the vision statement is well-written, it inspires donors, employees and the public. It also becomes a fundamental component of the organization’s messaging.

Why Vision Statements are Difficult to Write

Boards and staff members often have a difficult time writing effective vision statements. The results sound like their mission statement, which addresses how the organization is going to make that future vision a reality. Sometimes, the vision statement simply lists the services the organization currently provides.

Other times, they are all about the organization and its success. While this might be appropriate for a for-profit entity, non-profits are all about delivering on the mission. The vision for a non-profit is the impact it will make, so the vision usually articulates the impact on the community the organization serves.

Many board and staff members simply have a difficult time thinking about the future. Their day-to-day involvement with the organization makes them pre-occupied with the present. That makes it hard to break away and discuss the future.

What Makes a Strong Vision Statement

While there is no single formula for success, a strong vision statement is typically:

• Concise
• Inspirational
• Aspirational
• Stated in the present tense
• About the impact, not the organization
• Broad, but specific to the organization’s work

Here are some examples, including several from TopNonProfits.com’s list of 30 Example Vision Statements:

Oxfam: A just world without poverty

Habitat for Humanity: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Goodwill: Every person has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential and participate in and contribute to all aspects of life.

CityClub of Seattle: Along with natural wonder, innovative business and a vibrant culture, the Puget Sound region is defined by informed citizens engaged with their leaders in effective democracy.

The Immune Tolerance Network: To understand and achieve immune tolerance to prevent and cure human disease. (They call it a “purpose” instead of a “vision.”)

Four Tools for Facilitating Vision Statement Development

When writing a vision statement, the biggest barrier is the difficulty participants have thinking in future terms. I have used the following four approaches with success when facilitating discussions:

Use a Distant Point in Time

In some cases, participants in the discussion have a hard time getting out of the day-to-day. When a facilitator asks them to think about the impact the organization will have in the future, they tend to think in terms of the strategic planning timeline. As a result, the expected changes are modest, or the participant gets frustrated because they don’t believe the organization can actually make a significant impact.

To help the group envision a long-term outcome, ask them to describe the impact the organization will have at a specific, distant point in time. For example, ask them to imagine the day they close their doors because their services are no longer needed. Or ask them to describe what the world looks like in 50 years.

Describe Success from An External Point of View

One of my favorite approaches is to have the group describe the success the organization has experienced through the eyes of a reporter. Ask participants to imagine that their organization is the subject of a magazine article profiling their historic impact. Be sure to indicate when this article will be published. Pick a date that is far enough into the future that the organization make a difference.

This approach is very useful in pre-retreat homework. This allows the participants time to reflect and develop a thoughtful answer.

It can also be used during the retreat. In this case, I like using the templates created by Grove Tools. The Cover Story Vision is my favorite. However, you can also conduct this exercise as a facilitated discussion.

Start the Statement for the Group

Many groups have a difficult time thinking about the impact they will make, slipping into a discussion of how the organization will make a difference instead. For example, board members of a youth music program might propose the following statements as vision statements:

• The Music Program’s vision is to introduce every child to a world of music.
• The Music Program’s vision is to put an instrument in the hands of every child.

However, these would be more appropriate as mission statements than vision statements. They touch on why, but focus more on how the organization will accomplish its goal.

To address this issue, tell participants to start the vision statement with “A world in which …,” or something similarly focused on the external environment. In the statements above, participants might respond with these statements:

• The Music Program’s vision is a world in which every child has experienced music.
• The Music Program’s vision is a world in which every child who wants to play an instrument has access to one.

Either of these statements addresses why the organization exists, and the impact it plans to make. They are vision statements.

Ask Why

If a participant proposes a statement that isn’t a vision, sometimes asking why makes a difference. In other words, ask them to elaborate on the reason they believe what they are proposing is important.

Using the example above to illustrate, a participant suggests the following as a vision:

• The Music Program’s vision is to put an instrument in the hands of every child.

You, as the facilitator, ask:

“Why is that important?”

In response, the respondent suggests:

“Well, because if every kid has an instrument, they’ll all have a chance to play. Musical instruments are costly, and we know that’s a barrier.”

You have now elicited a true vision, and can restate it for them:

“So, you envision a future in which every child who wants to play an instrument has access to one.”

Good luck!

Vision statements are important, and drafting them can be both hard work and a great day of bonding for a board.

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