“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
– Proverbs 29:18
In my book, 90 Days to a Winning Community, I define vision as the vivid, imaginative, creative concept that gives power to people to act and to achieve what they desire.
Most people are familiar with vision statements. Companies often develop vision statements, which typically appear on company materials or websites. They provide summaries of their aspirations – what the company stands for, the values they strive to uphold and their relationships with customers and employees.
Individuals can have vision statements too. They typically revolve around goals for personal or professional growth, such as staying healthy, increasing knowledge in a particular subject matter, or becoming a good parent, daughter, student, role model, etc.
Most of the time, vision is focused on the future – what we want to become – either as a person, an organization or group of people.
What about your community? Do you know what its vision is?
One of the services I offer at Winning Communities is helping cities, towns and counties across the USA develop a vision and action plan for achievement. A vision plan helps communities visualize what they want to become in the future — 1, 5, 10 or even 20 years down the road – and get them on a plan of action to get there.
Why is it important for communities to visualize the future?
When we can visualize the result – and paint a picture of our ideal community of the future – one with economic and job growth, a bustling downtown, thriving retail and tourism markets, plenty of cultural opportunities, and an abundant quality of life – and write it down, we are more likely to get there.
A community vision plan is different from the typical long-range or strategic plans that we so often hear about from government officials. A community strategic plan usually involves more specific plan centered on an initiative, such as a school district, infrastructure, economic development or land use initiative.
A community vision plan often involves a more collaborative effort from the entire community, and includes much more than a land use document. It features the community’s identity and dream for what it shall become in the future. It analyses the trends, assets, challenges and opportunities of the region. It includes the individual ideas for growth and progress, as well as potential projects or programs. Most importantly, it includes a timeline, holds individuals or groups responsible for making that project or program a reality.
So your community has done (or is doing) a strategic plan. But does your community truly have a vision for what it wants to become in the future? And an action plan to achieve it?
