Best Examples of a Vision Statement

A vision statement for a company or organization focuses on the potential inherent in the company's future, or what they intend to be. While a vision statement might contain references to how the company intends to make that future into a reality, the “how” is really part of a "mission" statement, while the vision statement is simply a description of the “what,” meaning, what the company intends to become.

Vision Statements: Reviews and Ideas

To find the best examples of vision statements, consider these statements made by some of the world's most innovative and successful companies:

Online Retailer

“We intend to provide our customers with the best online shopping experience from beginning to end, with a smart, searchable website, easy-to-follow instructions, clear and secure payment methods, and fast, quality delivery.”

From this statement example, you can clearly tell that this company is an online retailer. You can also tell they have put thought into the statement by making a list of goals. They don't simply say that they want to be “the best” online shopping site – they give a list of ways in which they intend to do that. This is a quality vision statement because it outlines the specific future they intend to create for themselves, but it doesn't give specific steps on how they will do it (better saved for a mission statement).

Hair Salon

“Our salon will change the way you think about a haircut. Full service comfort, friendly staff, a relaxing atmosphere, and the best prices in town give you an experience that will leave you glowing both inside and out.”

Once again, it's clear from this vision statement what type of business is behind it. It's also a good, clear list of goals, without being too specific.It paints an overall picture of a pleasant, successful business that the company hopes to become, and since the vision statement isn't just a vision of your future – it's also a vision you're presenting to your customers about who you are – it's important that it do just that.

Apple Computer

"We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that's not changing. We are constantly focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple not the complex. We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products that we make, and participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution. We believe in saying no to thousands of projects, so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot. And frankly, we don't settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we're wrong and the courage to change. And I think regardless of who is in what job those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well."- Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Computer (Quoted on CNN Money.com).

PepsiCo

"PepsiCo's responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate - environment, social, economic - creating a better tomorrow than today. Our vision is put into action through programs and a focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value by making PepsiCo a truly sustainable company." (Quoted from Pepsi Co.com.)

Amazon

"Our [Amazon's] vision is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online." (Quoted from Amazon.com) 

Short Vision Statements

Sometimes a vision statement can be summarized in one sentence.

Examples include:

• To help people be healthy, 
• To have our product in every home in the United States, 
• To help people enjoy life, or offer an affordable solution to health care.  

Local companies might aspire to be the best company in the town or to offer locally grown produce. A restaurant may have this vision statement: To offer fresh and delicious food to our customers along with a fun-filled dining experience.

Long Vision Statements

Vision statements may also be longer as well.

Some examples include:  

• As we move towards our goal of being a world-class university, we will support research on a global scale. Locally, our campus will service the research needs of the learning community, granting access to many informational resources. 
• The XYZ Company will inspire its employees to be the best they can be.  We will engage in sustainable practices and anticipate the needs of our customers. We will maximize return to the stockholders while still maintaining quality in our products. 
• Our vision is to bring our students into the 21st century through innovation and modern technology. Learning will be enhanced with computer software and educational games that will allow students to proceed at their own rate according to their ability.

In each of these examples, the vision statement helps to define goals, creating something to work towards in the future. 

Writing a Good Vision Statement

Looking at these vision statement examples should give you a good jumping off point for knowing what a vision statement is and how to write one. Vision statements are a challenge for many people because they aren't sure what form the statement is supposed to take.

• A typical corporate or company vision statement will be brief and succinct; it will say a lot in just a few words, so those words must be very carefully chosen.

• The key to a good vision statement is to think of things in a long-term, broad sense, without sounding generic.

• If you're too specific, you will limit your vision and it won't be applicable ten years down the road: for example, if your current goal for your business is to move into a larger building, that's a vision for the future but it's not the vision for the future of your entire business. It's too narrow in focus.

• On the other hand, if you say that you want to achieve success – well, any business in the world could say that. It's too generic. The best statement will be clear about who you are as a company as well as who you wish to become.

Writing a good vision statement isn't difficult. Think about what your business does and what, in an ideal world, you would like it to do and how you would like to appear to the outside world.Consider the services and attributes that your company provides, then imagine how it would be if you provided the very best version of them possible. List those visions, and incorporate them into a brief statement that gives a good overview of the kind of image you want to represent.

Understanding your goals and being able to state them clearly is the first step toward making them happen.