The statement that a well-conceived strategic vision helps prepare a company for the future is true. A strategic vision is a concept that can define the company’s motive to do business, provide a guideline of where the company is going, and answer questions about why the business is going to the outlined direction. Through developing a cohesive strategic vision, the company’s management can achieve the long-term goals and objectives set on the earliest stages of its development.
A thought-through and efficient strategic vision is unique to a specific organization; therefore, executives must design a ‘map’ of the company’s path and the end destination to make sure that the chosen strategy only adds value and creates a range of advantages for the business.
Any organization needs a strategic vision because every key player in the organizational structure has to possess information about where the business is heading and why. With a cohesive vision in mind, a company will be able to subsequently increase its profitability, establish itself as a strong competitor on the market, and gain trust from loyal clients. Therefore, a strategic vision serves the purpose of the ‘map’ that guides the business towards a profitable future.
One of the most famous examples of a successful strategic vision pertains to no one other than Steve Jobs. When establishing and working on the Apple brand, Jobs formulated a strategic vision “Start with the customer experience and work backward to the technology” (qtd. in Hansen par. 4).
This strategic vision brought major success to the corporation, which continues to dominate the market today. By establishing the strategy, Jobs managed to create the customer experience that had never existed before. The company worked on developing products that would be consumer-friendly and innovative, so once customers saw the new tablet or smartphone, they wanted to buy it regardless of anything.
The example of Apple’s success in formulating a simple and cohesive strategic vision shows that businesses should invest time and effort into developing a ‘map’ to guide their development. Apart from providing a consistent idea of the direction in which the business is heading, a strategic vision can offer a stable ground on which the company will feel motivated and encouraged in cases when the business operations do not go as well as anticipated.
By acting as a ‘buffer’, a strategic vision will give the motivation to move forward and work on the mistakes that the company has made. If a strategic vision is well formulated and established, it can also support the company’s CEO’s leadership and communication strategy, targeted at issuing a plan for action. Lastly, a strategic vision can attract possible business partners and investors interested in what the company offers.
To sum up, a strategic vision is an integral part of business establishment and development. When formulated correctly, it can guide the company through different stages of the business process and motivate it to reach the set goals. Similar to the example of Apple, Inc., companies should start investing more in creating a cohesive strategic vision that will benefit the profitability and position a business as competitive. Lastly, a strategic vision can bridge the company’s current situation and the result it strives for through guiding key stakeholders to a specific goal set at the beginning of the business ‘journey’.
Works Cited
Hansen, Drew. Myth Busted: Steve Jobs Did Listen to Customers. 2013.