Strategic Planning in the Small Business

Unit 3

HO

3-2

Establishing A

Vision for the Future

paraphrased by: Randy

Rollinson

Note:

This material was distilled

from a book written by John M.

Bryson entitled Strategic Planning

for Public

and Nonprofit

Organizations. While

it was written for nonprofit

organizations is equally as valid

for small

businesses.

An important

step in the strategic management

process is to

develop a clear and distinct

dt scription

of what the business can

become. This is called

a vision statement.

According

to John Bryson, University

of Minnesota, in order

to construct a compelling

vision

statement

... "key decision makers
must be courageous.
They must listen to their
best selves

in order

to envision success for

the organization as a whole.

And they must be

disciplined

enough

to affirm the vision in

the present, to work hard

to make the vision real

in the here and

now."

A   vision statement

should be widely circulated

among employees

and other key stakeholders,

and it

should be used as a benchmark

when making major

and minor organizational

decisions.

A number

of benefits flow from

a clear, succinct, inspiring

and widely shared vision

of success.

*   Employees understand

how they fit into

the big picture and what

is expected of them.

*   Owners and employees

have some conception

of what success looks

like with success

therefore made more likely.

*   If there is

agreement on the vision,

and if clear decision rules

can be derived from

it, the

business can gain an added

increment of power

and efficiency.

*   If we believe

that the future is what

we make it, then a vision

outlines the future we want

to have and forces us

to live it, create it, and

realize it in the present.

• It creates a useful tension
  between the world as
  it is, and the world as we
  would like it.

• An
  inspiring vision of success
  can supply another source
  of motivation: a calling.
  Ifa

vision

of success becumes a calling,

an enormous amount

of individual energy and

dedication

can be released

in pursuil. of a forceful

vision.

" Helps everyone recognize
the barriers to realization
of the vision and thereby
assists in

overcoming them.

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