Last week, we covered mission statements and provided you with 57 examples from chambers around the country (and a couple international ones). If you missed the post, check it out.
This week we’re diving into how to create a vision statement that will help your community understand exactly where the chamber is headed.
As we wrote last week, mission and vision statements are changing. Once, they were stuffy, overblown corporate speak. These days they’re becoming more memorable slogans or words that get right to the heart of the matter. They drive action and inspire.
If your vision is still old-style, it’s time for an update.
But how do you create a mission and vision statement that sounds professional and lights people up? We have some tips and examples from chambers across the country.
What’s the Difference Between a Mission and Vision Statement?
Mission and vision statements are often confused. A mission statement describes the chamber’s purpose. It outlines what you do, who you serve, and why. Ideally, it’s short and memorable, enduring and inspiring. However, enduring doesn’t mean you’ll never change it. As your chamber evolves, your mission statement should be tweaked. But, a strong, focused mission statement will probably not change as much as a vision statement will.
A vision statement describes where you’re going as an organization as we’ll see in the next section…
How to Craft an Effective Vision Statement for the Chamber
Your vision statement paints a picture of the ideal state the chamber strives to achieve. It often focuses on the impact and the environment the chamber aims to create.
A well-constructed vision statement provide a sense of direction and purpose for your chamber’s activities. It’s like a road map of where you plan to be in the future. For that reason, it is an important tool in guiding strategic planning and decision-making.
An effective vision statement will attract and retain employees, members, and leaders who share the chamber’s aspirations. Getting back to the road map analogy, your vision statement describes to people where you’re going. That inspires them to get on board just like a map or a travel plan might convince your friends or family that they want to go on that road trip with you. If you asked them without telling them where you were going, it’s unlikely they’d join you. They wouldn’t know if you’d be gone for a few hours or a few days. Drawing up a destination helps them know whether they are aligned with you or not. It motivate the community to contribute to achieving the vision.
Here are some key characteristics of a vision statement:
- Long-Term Focus: It outlines the chamber’s desired future state, looking beyond immediate goals. This is often where people get hung up between the mission and the vision after all, isn’t who you are woven into who you want to be? Yes, they are intertwined but separately communicated.
- Inspiring & Aspirational: It should be motivating and evoke a sense of purpose for stakeholders, volunteers, and the community.
- Future-Oriented: It describes the ideal future, not just the chamber’s internal state.
Here are some examples of vision statements from well-known companies:
- Tesla: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
- Make-A-Wish Foundation: “I wish to live in a world where every child with a critical illness has their wish come true.”
- Khan Academy: “A world where anyone can learn anything.”
After reading those it’s a little easier to see how the vision statement is a future ideal. If the chamber accomplishes what it aims to, this is what the community will look like.
An effective vision statement should be:
- Clear and Concise: Easily understood and remembered by the audience.
- Bold and Ambitious: Set a challenging but achievable long-term goal.
- Future-Proofed: Remain relevant even as the organization and its environment evolve.
- Inspiring: Motivate stakeholders to contribute to achieving the vision.
Examples of Chamber Vision Statements
As we covered last week, there are several things to keep in mind during the statement drafting process. These include:
- Keep Them Short & Sweet – longer just adds confusion
- Involve Stakeholders – not just your board
- Make Them Memorable – memorable statements strike a cord
- Align with Chamber Values – statements should reflect your core values and aspirations
We asked chambers across the country to share their mission statements and had a huge response.
Use these to inspire your own creative work but focus your vision statement on your community’s ideal future.
To be the trusted resource for relationship building, economic, travel, and tourism expertise and the key driver of business and community prosperity.
The Raleigh Chamber is the major catalyst and community consensus builder, creating a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable business climate that encourages job growth, workforce development, and economic prosperity and affirms the Triangle as the country’s best region for quality of life.
For all businesses to flourish and become an impactful leader in the community, to be a reliable resource for the people who live, work, and play here, and to be equipped to embrace the future of our community.
The people and businesses of Flint and Genesee County will have abundant opportunities to thrive and grow.
To shape and inspire a vibrant business community.
To empower business though collaboration.
Opening doors for business prosperity in the Farmington region.
To be the recognized leader and advocate of the business community, acting as a catalyst for a
thriving economic and entrepreneurial environment, collaborative community initiatives, and a
better quality of life for its business owners and citizens alike.
To build a better Wichita Falls through economic development and business support.
Prosperity in business, strength in community.
To be the indispensable resource for Allen, Fairview & Collin County businesses.
To be the first choice business resource!
M.A.N.E – Mission Marketing, Advocacy, Networking, Education.
To be the catalyst for our members’ business success.
Strengthening Business. (through) Influence, Profile, Knowledge.
To champion a robust voice for business in Dufferin County.
To be the leader in making Gilmer County the best place to visit, live, work, invest and play.
Creative Vision Ideas
Additionally, some chambers get creative with how they display theirs, mounting them on their office was, creating graphics, etc. Take a look at these ideas:
The Rogers Lowell Chamber created videos for their mission, vision, and core values.
The Kilgore Area Chamber of Commerce eliminated multiple statements and went with a single purpose statement, which reads, To cultivate a strong business and industrial environment in Kilgore, creating a vibrant place to live, learn, work & play.
In Summary
Your vision statement should describe what the chamber aspires to be in the future. Both the vision and mission statements should work together to provide a comprehensive picture of the chamber’s purpose and goals.
This simple language should be a call to action to join you in creating an ideal future for your community. A well-crafted mission and vision statement helps citizens identify you as “their kind of organization” and one they feel has their interests and future in mind.
