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Vision Statement DevelopmentIdealizing Your Organization’s Future

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Vision Statement Development - What is Vision and Why is it Important? Vision is a representation of what you believe the future of

your organization should look like to your customers, employees, and other important stakeholders. 

Vision is almost entirely intuitive in its origin.  It is an outgrowth of the values and convictions of your stakeholders.

A well-stated vision statement: ◦ Is brief.◦ Is catchy and easy to remember. ◦ Is inspiring and a challenge to future achievement.◦ Is believable and consistent with your values and your mission. ◦ Serves as a rallying point with all important stakeholders. ◦ Clearly states the essence of what your organization must

become. ◦ Allows for flexibility and creativity in execution.

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Vision Statement DevelopmentIdentify StakeholdersConvene a carefully designed

meeting◦Provide information -

the history of the library future trends in the library business economic and social trends in the

community, the state and nation◦Facilitate small group discussions of

carefully selected stakeholders …and record the discussion results “on the wall”.

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Vision Statement Development “Distill” the discussion results

into a draft Vision StatementHave conversations with the

Trustees to finally craft the Vision Statement and gain approval of it.

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Vision Statement Development - StakeholdersWho are the stakeholders?

◦The community’s citizens◦Library employees◦Library volunteers◦The community for-profit business

sector◦The community service sector

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Vision Statement Development – Guiding Questions1. What do I see as the key to the future for our

organization?2. What unique contribution should we be making

in the future?3. What would make me excited about being a part

of this organization in the future? 4. What values need to be stressed? 5. What are or should be our core competencies? 6. What should be our positions on such things as

customers, markets, growth, technology, quality, employees, etc.?

7. What do I see as our greatest opportunity for growth?

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Vision Statement Development

References Daniel H. Kimm (1995). Vision Deployment Matrix: A

Framework for Large-Scale Change. The Systems Thinker, 6(1), 1-5.

A process of continual clarification, continuous & iterative. Mapping from event to vision level.