In this lesson you learned that a vivid description of a business owners’ or management’s aspirations for the future and delineates the company’s strategic course and long term direction. You also learned that a company’s Vision is unless unless it is effectively communicated to lower levels of management and staff, company-wide.

1. Crafting and
Executing
Strategy: The
managerial process
Global Business Consultants &
Partners Training Courses
Copyright 2020 Global Business Consultants

2. Nice to
meet you.
Sam Lee Mohan
Founder and Team Member,
Global Business Consultants

3. Chapter 1. Developing a
Strategic Vision, Mission and
Values
Lesson 1: Developing and communicating a
strategic vision

4. “Unless we change our direction we are
likely to end up where we are headed.”
Old Chinese Proverb

5. Developing a Company’s Strategic Vision.
A Strategic Vision is a vivid description of a
business owners’ or managements’ aspirations for
the future and delineates the company’s strategic
course and long term direction.
At the outset of the strategy-making process, the
business owner or management team must challenge,
debate, argue and agree on the important issue of what
directional path the company should take.
The key questions relate to; can the company’s prospects be improved by
changing its product offering, or the markets in which it participates, or
the customers it aims to serve.
Developing
a Strategic
Vision

6. Developing a Company’s Strategic Vision.
The key questions pushes the business owner or
management team to decide to commit the
company on one path versus another.
This pushes the management team to carefully
reasoned conclusions about whether:
The present strategic course offers attractive opportunities for
growth and profitability, or
Whether changes of one kind or the another in the company’s
strategy and long-term direction is needed.
Developing
a Strategic
Vision

7. Developing a Company’s Strategic Vision.
A clearly articulated strategic vision communicates a
business owners’ or management teams’ aspirations to
stakeholders.
It helps steer the energies of company staff in a
common direction.
For example. Henry Ford’s vision of a car in every garage
had power because it captured the imagination of others,
aided internal efforts to mobilise the For Motor Company’s
resources, and served as a reference point for gauging the
merits of the company's strategic actions.
Developing
a Strategic
Vision

8. Developing a Company’s Strategic Vision.
Well thought-out and developed Visions are:
Distinctive and Specific to a particular company.
They avoid generic, feel-good statements, for example:
We will become a global leader and the first choice of customers in
every market we serve.
In the example, the statement could apply to any company. It is
vague and unrevealing, saying very little about the company’s
future direction.
Developing
a Strategic
Vision

9. Communicating a Company’s Strategic Vision.
A well-conceived Vision has little to no value to the
company unless it is effectively communicated.
The most fundamental stakeholders that a company’s
Vision must be communicated to includes lower level
managers and staff.
A Vision cannot provide direction to managers nor can
it inspire and energize staff unless everyone in the
company is familiar with it and observe the business
owners’ and top managements’ commitment to the
Vision.
Communicating
a Strategic
Vision

10. Communicating a Company’s Strategic
Vision.
One of the most important factors in
communicating the company’s Vision is the business
owners’ or management teams’ rationale for a new
strategic vision and company direction.
If not well articulated or believable, then
company staff will not understand or accept the
need for redirecting company efforts which
results in resistance to change.
Communicating
a Strategic
Vision

11. Communicating a Company’s Strategic
Vision.
In order to win the support of company staff for
the Vision, a business owners must be clear on:
“Where we are going, and why”
This must be done in writing and distributed
company-wide with the owner or management team
explaining the vision and rationale to as many people
as feasible.
Communicating
a Strategic
Vision

12. Communicating a Company’s Strategic Vision.
A well thought-out strategic vision can be articulated
adequately in one or two paragraphs.
Business owners or Managers should be able to easily
explain it company staff and outside stakeholders.
Business owners should present their vision for the
company in a manner that reaches out and grabs
people.
Communicating
a Strategic
Vision

13. Wording a Vision Statement – the Do’s
and Don’ts.
Communicating
a Strategic
Vision
The Dos The Don’ts
Be graphic. Don’t be vague and incomplete.
Be forward-looking and directional. Don’t dwell on the present.
Have some wiggle room. Don’t use overly broad language.
Be sure the journey is feasible.
Don’t state the Vision in bland and
uninspiring terms.
Indicate why the directional path makes good
business sense.
Don’t be generic.
Make it memorable. Don’t rely on superlatives.
Keep it focussed. Don’t run on and on.

14. A company’s strategy is at full power only when
its many pieces are united.
A company’s vision, objectives, strategy,
and approach to strategy implementation are
never final; managing strategy is an on-going
process, not an every-now-and-then task.
Thompson et al. | 2014

15. Congratulations! You’ve completed lesson 1.
Recap: In this lesson you learned that a vivid description of a
business owners’ or management’s aspirations for the future and
delineates the company’s strategic course and long term
direction. You also learned that a company’s Vision is unless
unless it is effectively communicated to lower levels of
management and staff, company-wide.
Awesome work!
Now click Complete and then Next for Lesson 2.