The secret to a useful vision: make it measurable
Relevant case studies
Outline
00:00
Problems with vague vision statements
Chris from Parliament explains that most corporate vision statements are ineffective, not because they are incorrect, but because they lack measurability. Many vision statements are vague, inspiring in tone but failing to drive action or provide clear direction. Examples given include common phrases like ‘Be the best in our industry’ and ‘Deliver exceptional customer experiences,’ which sound appealing but lack practical impact.
00:24
Lack of measurable goals causes drift
Chris discusses the challenges of working with vague goals or visions, highlighting that they lack clear endpoints or measurable criteria. This ambiguity forces teams to guess and interpret details on their own, which can lead to both correct and incorrect assumptions. Early-stage startup CEOs often prefer this flexibility to avoid limiting their teams and to keep potential opportunities open.
00:44
Difference between vague and specific plans
Chris explains that vague plans create drift rather than flexibility. They contrast general statements like ‘going on a hike’ with specific, actionable plans such as completing the Twin Lakes Loop on a set date. Similarly, watching ‘some football’ is less effective than scheduling a specific game at a certain time and place.
01:04
Benefits of detailed vision statements
Chris emphasizes the importance of providing all necessary details upfront to enable informed decision-making and support for a vision. This transparency allows individuals to fully commit or opt out early, which is beneficial for everyone. The example given is a business goal to become the leading mid-market logistics provider by revenue and retention by 2028, with a target to reduce customer support friction by 40%.
01:29
Examples of measurable business visions
The segment outlines ambitious organizational goals, including achieving a Net Promoter Score (NPS) above 70 by 2026, filling 80% of leadership roles internally by 2027, launching three market-differentiating products by 2025 that contribute 25% of total revenue, and reducing the environmental footprint by 40% to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. These visions provide clear targets for teams and criteria for success. It emphasizes that every vision should clearly define what will be accomplished and how success will be measured.
01:54
Importance of saying no to distractions
Chris emphasizes that a vision is not just a poster but requires clear, decisive commitment. They highlight the difficulty in making choices and the necessity of saying no to certain goals in order to focus on accomplishing specific priorities. Success is measured by what is chosen to be achieved, not by what is left out.
02:16
Make visions specific and actionable
Chris emphasizes the importance of having a clear, measurable vision to avoid inefficiency caused by vague goals. A specific and actionable vision helps teams focus and move forward effectively. They recommend creating measurable visions across all business areas, including operations, finance, brand, culture, product, and services, but note that this topic will be covered in more detail in another video.
Transcript
Hey friends, it’s Chris at Parliament.
Most corporate vision statements are useless. Not because they’re wrong necessarily, but because they can’t be measured. Too many vision statements are vague. They sound inspiring, but they don’t drive action. They don’t provide direction.
Here are a few examples. Be the best in our industry. Deliver exceptional customer experiences. Lead with innovation. Empower people to reach their potential. Make a positive impact on the world. These sound great, but there’s no finish line. There’s no way to measure them. It’s hard to tell if you’ve accomplished them or not. They’re quite subjective. So teams are left guessing. People have to fill in the details themselves and they will. Sometimes they’ll be right, sometimes they’ll be wrong.
Many CEOs, especially at early-stage startups, don’t want to limit their teams. They want to maintain flexibility. They don’t want to cut off possibilities or potential paths. They want to stay flexible. But vague visions don’t create flexibility. They create drift.
It’s the difference between saying, “Hey, we’re going to go on a hike,” versus, “We’re going to complete the Twin Lakes Loop on July 2nd.” Or saying, “We’re going to watch some football,” versus, “We’re going to watch the Ducks play Ohio State at my house Saturday at noon.” Do you see the difference? The vague examples are not inaccurate, per se. They are true, but they aren’t actionable without additional information.
So, why not do the work to provide all the details up front? That way, people can make decisions and support the vision accordingly. They can take steps to fully embrace it or opt out. And if they opt out, that’s fine. It’s better for everybody to find that out now than later.
Okay, so football, hiking—silly examples—but what does this look like in a business? Become the number one provider in mid-market logistics by revenue and retention by 2028. Cut customer support friction by 40% and reach a 70-plus NPS by 2026. Fill 80% of leadership roles internally by 2027. Launch three market-differentiating products by 2025 that produce 25% of our total revenue. Or reduce our environmental footprint by 40% and reach carbon-neutral operations by 2030.
These visions give teams something to aim at and a way of knowing when they’ve hit the mark. In the least, every vision should answer two questions: What will we accomplish? And how will success be measured? If your vision can’t answer these, it’s not a vision. It’s a poster.
And I know these things seem so obvious. But answering these questions is more challenging than you think. You have to put your foot down. You have to put a stake in the ground. You have to make decisions. You have to say no.
Saying, “Hey, yes, we are going to accomplish X, Y, and Z” means we’re not going to accomplish M and L and R and Q. We’re not going to do those things. Those aren’t how we’re going to measure success. If we accomplish those things, we’ve still missed the mark.
A vague vision creates drift. A measurable vision creates focus. If your team can’t measure your vision, then they’re guessing and checking, and that’s slow and inefficient.
So, make your vision specific, make it directional, make it actionable, and make it real. Even better, get crisp and make measurable visions for every part of your business—operations, financials, brand, culture, product, services. But I’ll save that for another video.
All right, that’s it for me. Be brave. Stand apart.