Now you have a vision – a one sentence statement about what your organization wants to become. Your people are pumped, and you’re more excited than you have been in years. Now, more than ever, you need to resist the temptation to rest from your labor. If you wait, you will loose the momentum. Capitalize on it! get to work immediately.
Vision statements are the most easily forgotten words in the English language. You would think that one simple sentence would stick in your head forever, but without constant exposure the statement will quickly become a fleeting thought. It is imperative to get it and keep it before the people. Frame it and hang it on the wall. Put it on your letterhead. Attach it to your emails.
Say it over and over and over and over and over and over again. When you start to feel that you have said it too much – say it at least 10,000 more times.
Then, after you've settled on the statement, hire a graphic design artist to design a logo that communicates your statement in a trendy, professional fashion.
DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL.
Cheesy graphics will cause your vision to die like an opossum crossing the interstate at rush hour. Get the logo out in front of the people ASAP. Keep it before them continually. This is called branding your vision. The goal of branding is getting somebody to associate a thought with a graphic. An effective branding campaign will keep your vision alive forever. Just think about the Nike swoosh, the Golden Arches, and the infamous Apple. Brand it.
Brand it some more. Brand it again. You might want to think about getting it tattooed on your arm (JK : ).
When people start to associate your logo with your vision statement and begin to use the logo to tell people how your organization functions, you can start to market the vision.
Simplifying, branding and marketing your vision will ensure that your people will have a sense of ownership in what you're doing.