When you're in charge of managing a team, you need to get ready to face various challenges. From team motivation to mutual trust, everyone needs to work hard to establish balance and regular workflow. But, when it's a remote team, and people are physically away from each other, things can get even harder to manage. That's why you need to walk the extra mile to make your team stronger and more collaborative. One of the essential steps you should take is to write an inspiring team vision statement.
Writing a remote team vision statement can be tricky, but you can do it with the right guidance. Below, you'll find the tips and tricks that will help you nail this assignment. Let's take a closer look.
Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash
What is a Team Vision Statement?
Let’s start by defining the notion of a team vision statement. What is it exactly?
Well, a team vision statement is a one-sentence declaration of your team’s biggest goal and mission in what they do. It’s like saying, this is what we want to achieve.
For example, a team working at a garden supplies company could have the following team vision statement:
- “To make everyone fall in love with gardening.”
- “To make gardening simple and fun.”
- “To bring back gardening.”
This statement is there to show what the entire team is working for and help them find motivation and guidance when they need it.
Why Does Your Remote Team Need This?
Working as a part of a remote team is challenging, especially if the team leader isn’t investing enough effort into bringing everyone together. To make a remote team work like a charm, it takes dedication, creativity, and hard work.
A remote team needs a team leader to schedule regular video meetings, find great collaboration tools, and give proper feedback. And, an inspiring team vision statement would also benefit them a lot.
Here's why your remote team needs a team vision statement:
- it brings everyone together, around the same goal
- it provides guidance and motivation for everyone
- it strengthens the feeling of belonging to a team
A remote team needs a team vision statement to further improve their relationships and put them all on the same page.
How to Write an Inspiring Remote Team Vision Statement?
Writing a team vision statement for a remote team is a task that requires proper preparation and strategizing. We’ve prepared a step-by-step guide to help you do it properly.
Here's how to write an inspiring team vision statement.
1. Hold a Virtual Meeting
When you’re writing a team vision statement, you’re writing it for your team. That’s why it’s a great idea to have them involved in this process.
Announce and invite them to join you in a meeting where you’ll discuss:
- their vision of the company’s future
- their motivation and inspiration
- their idea of the team vision statement
You should hear them out and see what they have to say. Using their ideas in the actual team vision statement will make it far more powerful and memorable.
Consider the notes you take from your research work. Use the help of Get Good Grade if you need to write a research report as a part of this project.
2. Set a Goal
Your team vision statement is actually a goal you’re setting for the future. It shouldn’t be something you can accomplish in a month.
It's supposed to be more challenging and daring. So, set a goal for the next 5 years, and make sure your team vision statement covers it.
For example, a gardening tools company that's just getting started could say:
- “To have our gardening tools in every local garden.”
But, a gardening tools company that's been around for a decade could go for:
- “To have our gardening tools cross international borders.”
So, the team vision statement needs to reflect your current situation and impact the working culture positively.
3. Stay Realistic
Optimism and motivation are always welcome. But, when you’re overly optimistic, it can easily turn into impossible and completely unreal.
When your team is asked to believe your team vision statement and find inspiration and guidance in it, you need to make sure that it’s:
- optimistic but real
- achievable
- daring but manageable
If you set the goals and standards too high, your team might start feeling like it's a lost battle. They'll get the sense that they'll never be able to achieve the goals you've set and will start doubting their skills and contribution to the team.
So, make sure you don't cross the line from optimistic to impossible.
4. Tell a Story
A team vision statement is supposed to inspire and motivate. This can only be done if you manage to show passion and drive in it.
To be able to do this, you have to choose your words wisely. You don't want to overdo it. Instead, you want to be subtle but send a clear message.
The best way to show your and your team's passion for the work you're doing is to:
- tell a one-sentence story
- use powerful words
- amplify your message
- deepen its meaning
So, a team vision statement that uses storytelling could be:
- “To help our community flourish into an eco-friendly environment.”
- “Build houses in which families are brought together.”
- "Help businesses use data science to achieve their biggest goals.”
You need to help your team see the impact you're making and make sure the team vision statement declares your determination and passion for success.
5. Keep it Simple
Complicated vocabulary and heavy, technical terminology isn’t going to take you anywhere. Instead, it’s just going to repel your team members.
To make the message really stand out, you should use the simple, everyday language your team is using when talking to each other. Let's compare:
- “To excel and surmount in our pursuit for a fashionable world.”
- “To help every woman make the right fashion choices.”
The second one is far more simple, which makes it more relatable and believable. Stick to simplicity when you’re writing your remote team vision statement, and don’t let the pompous words take the meaning away from it.
6. Reinforce the Message
When you write the team vision statement that you and your team love, you’ll need to work on reinforcing it. That means you’ll have to find the channels and platforms for:
- showing your new team vision statement
- reminding everyone of what it is
- repeating it throughout communication and your collaboration with the team
The team vision statement needs to be around at all times, subtly reminding everyone of what they're here for.
Final Thoughts
A remote team needs an inspiring team vision statement more than anyone else. They need something to keep them together and remind them they’re all part of a bigger picture.
Hopefully, the tips we've listed above will make it easy for you to write a great team vision statement that will help your team focus and work together on achieving the same goal.
Author’s Bio
Dorian Martin is a content writer and an HR manager with years of experience. He covers topics related to recruiting, finding top talent, and managing teams successfully. He also does freelance editing and proofreading.
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