Visions to See By
In this post, I want to present four visions.
The first is what I believe is the best vision ever written, Dr. Martin Luther. King’s “I Have a Dream.
Presented on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of 250,000 civil rights supporters in 1963, the speech is often considered by many to be the top American speech of the 20th century.
By any measure, it is a classic vision statement. To help bolster my case, let’s make a quick comparison between his speech and the qualities of a good vision presented in the previous post.
- Does the speech focus on a better future? Clearly.
- Does it offer encouragement and hope? Absolutely.
- Does it appeal to our core values? Yes.
- Does it emphasize the strength of a unified group? Without a doubt.
- Does it use word pictures, images, and metaphors? Yes.
- Does it communicate enthusiasm and kindle excitement? Clearly.
Nearly 50 years later, the speech still has the power to captivate and inspire.
Now consider this vision statement from a private college in the West:
(College name) seeks to create academic programs and a campus culture that prepare students for their lives as engaged global citizens and leaders.
Does this vision describe a valued future? Is it compelling? Does it offer insight into what the future will look like?
Let’s try another.
The University of Tennessee Knoxville intends to be the preeminent public research and teaching university linking the people of Tennessee to the nation and the world.
This is a great vision. Not only does it create a clear sense of purpose, but it sends an important signal to the state—you can count on us.
One more.
Biola University’s vision is to be an exemplary Christian university characterized as a community of grace that promotes and inspires personal life transformation in Christ, which illuminates the world with His light and truth.
Whether you agree with the doctrine or not, this vision is clear and captures your attention. People of faith will find this vision compelling.
Thoughts? Comments? Want to suggest a vision for me to look at?
My next post will take a look at the elements of a basic strategic plan.
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If you need help developing or executing a compelling strategy, please drop me an
e-mail. I would enjoy a chance to chat. You can reach me a bob.sevier@stamats.com.
Photo by: Nelson Piedra (nopiedra)
