Managing and leading a team of people is never a simple task. There are a lot of challenges and bumps in the road that you need to overcome together. And, no matter how hard you try, you can never be sure you and your team are on the same page unless you write a winning team vision statement.
A team vision statement is a statement that helps you communicate your company’s goals to your team, and get them to focus on achieving those same goals. This vision statement should therefore be inspiring, motivating, informative, and memorable. If you want to write a winning team vision statement but you’re not sure how to do it, just keep reading.
Here are the steps to take to write an inspiring team vision statement.
- Understand The Purpose
Before you start brainstorming ideas and writing your team vision statement, you should think about the purpose of this task. Why are you writing a team vision statement?
The truth is, a team vision statement has several positive effects on your company and team:
- defines the company mission
- defines the importance and role of the team
- inspires individual team members to work harder
- brings everyone around the same goal
- motivates
Once you realize how important it is to write an inspiring team vision statement, you’ll be ready to take this task seriously.
- Have a Team Meeting
You’re writing a team vision statement for your entire team to look up to and think about when they’re working. So, why not include them in the process of creating it?
Have a team meeting with them and explain the task that’s ahead of you. Ask them for:
- their opinion
- specific ideas
- any type of contribution
Make sure the meeting leaves enough room for them to think, brainstorm ideas, and share the best ones with you. Write down everything they’re saying and collect all their materials at the end of the meeting. Use them to create your team vision statement.
It’s most likely that your team will have some of the best ideas about what the statement should state and how.
- Follow the Company’s Main Idea
Your company already has a vision and a direction it’s headed in. You must reflect on this in your team vision statement as well. This is why it would be a great idea to write a short biography of your company to keep close when you start writing the team vision statement.
It should include:
- company history details
- company’s mission and vision
- target audience
- the market you’re on
- the change or innovation it’s trying to bring
- the biggest competitors you’re trying to fight
Your team vision statement needs to be following the company’s main principles. Think about them, and define them. Keep them as a reminder and guidelines for writing the team vision statement.
- Strive High
Your team vision statement needs to paint a picture of your company’s and team’s ultimate goal. It answers the question of:
- What is your main and biggest goal as a team?
When thinking about this, you should keep the following in mind:
- be realistic- don’t set goals that are impossible to accomplish
- dream big- set a goal that you can achieve with a lot of hard work
- be optimistic
- be positive
- be open-minded
Let’s say you’re a new fashion brand that’s just starting to fight for their piece of the market. Your team vision statement shouldn’t be as unrealistic as:
- “to conquer the world of fashion and become the number 1 fashion brand globally”
At the moment, this is so distant and seems impossible to accomplish. That means it will only demotivate your team and make them feel like they’re never going to succeed.
So, make sure you settle for something more realistic, which in this case could be:
- “to help you make the right fashion choices every day”
Being realistic is the best thing you can do to make your team employees engaged and productive.
- Make it Short
A team vision statement is supposed to say a lot using as few words as possible. This can be a challenge but you just need to think creatively and try making it work.
The truth is, a team vision statement should:
- be simple to understand
- carry a clear message
- one sentence long
Mariah Pearson, a team manager and editor at GetGoodGrade agrees: “If a team vision statement is too long, ambiguous, or doesn’t deliver a clear message instantly, it simply won’t work. You need something effective and inspiring for your team to understand and love”.
So, reduce your team vision statement to a single sentence that says it all. Remember, this is not a company presentation nor should it contain the little details your team already knows. But, it’s supposed to inspire them to work hard and aim for the same goal.
- Look Into the Future
A team vision statement is supposed to reflect a future goal that you’d like to achieve. It needs to shape a healthy atmosphere of optimism and determination. This is why it’s a good idea to look into the future and ask yourself:
- Where do I see this team in 5 or 10 years?
- What will we have accomplished?
- What will be the main difference between today and then?
You should imagine the ideal scenario and your accomplishments in the future. This should help you shape the team vision statement the right way. Here’s a couple of examples:
- “to create a better teaching experience through technology and innovation”
- “bring happiness and inspiration to every athlete”
- “implement smart and effective solutions to the environmental crisis”
Your team should see that you’re not afraid and you believe you can make serious changes together.
- Allow For Stages in Creation
No one asks you to sit down and come up with a brilliant team vision statement at once. This task takes time and patience. So, if you want to end up with the best results, you should allow for different stages in the creation process to happen.
Those stages include:
- the preparation stage- gathering information, researching, preparing the team
- the meeting stage- discussing with your team members
- the drafting stage- creating several different drafts to choose from
- the polishing stage- choosing the best draft and polishing it every day until you’re happy with it
This means that writing a team vision statement will take time and cannot be done overnight.
- Apply It
So, you’ve written your team vision statement and you think your work is done. Well, you’re wrong. Now it’s time to apply your message:
- share it with the team
- remind them about it whenever you get the chance
- reinforce the message
This should be one of your top team leadership assignments. Make sure everyone in your team knows and respects the team vision statement.
Final Thoughts
Writing a team vision statement is a task that requires time, creativity, and strategic planning. But, it’s worth the effort since the result will help you bring your team closer together and inspire them to work hard to achieve the goals you’ve set.
Use the tips we’ve shared above to write a winning and inspiring team vision statement.
