What is a vision statement?

- You're starting a program. You know your program objectives and how they align to corporate objectives, so now you're wondering, what's the best way to make sure all stakeholders understand and engage with the program objectives? The answer is to create a vision statement. A vision statement is a high-level description of what the future organization looks like after the program has been delivered. It engages stakeholders and gets them to commit to the program objectives. Probably one of the best descriptions I've ever heard of a vision statement is that it's like a postcard from the future. It's really important not to confuse a vision statement with a mission statement, which are the punchy one-liners that define the purpose of an organization, like providing global markets with affordable eco-friendly solutions. A vision statement is so much more. It describes the future state of the organization after the changes have been implemented. It should be a compelling statement consisting of a few well-formed paragraphs that appeals to the hearts and minds of the stakeholders, encouraging them to commit to and engage with the program. After hearing the vision statement, stakeholders should feel inspired by the organization that's been described and be motivated to do whatever it takes to help get the organization there. So when is a vision statement created and how will it be used during a program? During the concept phase of a program lifecycle, a draft vision statement is created as part of early visioning workshops. It'll be used to engage the key stakeholders who need to buy in and commit to the program outcomes. During the definition phase of a program, the vision statement will be refined and will form the basis of many communications messages to engage with the wider stakeholder audience and to get further commitment to deliver the program. During the delivery phases, it's used to provide context for the projects delivering the program, so that each project understands its contribution to the overall program objectives. It will also underpin all communications to maintain stakeholder engagement and commitment. When closing a program, one of the indicators that program is ready to close is to ask. Have we realized the vision statement? If it's evident that the organization has reached the desirable future, the program can close. Remember, an organization's stakeholders will have many different viewpoints and opinions about the priorities for change. Some may not support the current proposals, and these will have to be resolved before you proceed. Meaningful and lasting change is more likely to be achieved if there's an early shared vision of what the business looks like in its future state. This leads to successful engagement with and commitment from all stakeholders, which leads to program success.