I think I was especially struck by this as I had in the days
before the seminar toured Washington, DC including the Lincoln Memorial,
National Archives, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Evidence of the
power of vision was evident all around.
I sometimes hear that mission/vision stuff is silly and not
useful. I don’t buy it, and I don’t think you should either. So the next time you
hear people mention that a vision statement is unimportant, have them read:
The Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness.”
The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America, “We the People of the
United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The Gettysburg Address, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers
brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
“It is rather for us to be here
dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead
we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full
measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not
have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people,
shall not perish from the earth.”
Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream Speech, “I have a dream that
one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created
equal."
“I have a dream that my four little
children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Powerful, clear visions allow for actionable goals, which
focus the efforts of individuals and groups, allowing them to achieve more than
they thought possible. Vision statements, done right, can be very powerful.
Does your vision statement inspire action?