It’s not just organisations that create vision statements, countries, regions and cities do so too
A vision statement defines what an organisation stands for and the future state that it is aiming for in the long term. When it is highly visible within an organisation a vision provides the foundation for strategic planning, a platform to motivate employees and a clarity of purpose that can be clearly articulated to stakeholders outside the organisation.
It’s not just organisations that create vision statements, countries, regions and cities do so too. Scotland, Virginia, the Isle of Man and Auckland are among many places where a vision has been articulated to create a focus on creating positive change for the lives of their residents.
The States of Jersey, too, has recognised the value of having a long-term vision statement for the Island. Over the past couple of years it has been undertaking a comprehensive consultation to set out a vision for Jersey that represents Islanders’ ambitions for the next 20 years and the result of this work has now been published in Future Jersey.
Does this matter for business? The short answer is ‘yes’.
Firstly, the business community itself will have an impact on how and if the vision is realised. One of the themes is the economy and the drivers that are affecting Jersey economic performance now and in the future.
Affordable living, an attractive place to do business and a strong economy with rewarding job opportunities are the economic outcomes identified in this theme and it is possible to drill into these outcomes to get more granular detail on performance measures. Like it or not, every business in Jersey will contribute to these measures.
Secondly, Future Jersey represents what Islanders want for their future and with three themes, community, environment and economy, and ten outcome areas, in future political and government decisions and policies in all areas will be tested against this framework.
Thirdly, Future Jersey can be a useful planning tool for anyone looking to grow their business in Jersey. Any organisation, large or small, can place itself at the heart of this framework, consider whether it has an impact and where it can make a difference. Whether it is recruiting for diversity and inclusion, developing new products and services, introducing lifelong learning or reducing energy and water consumption, the business community can punch above its weight in the impact it can make.
Future Jersey is intended to be a shared vision. Yes, it is there to help politicians make informed, evidence-based decisions about their priorities and policies, but considerable importance is also being placed on the role that the rest of the community will need to play if Jersey’s future ambitions are to be achieved.
So, if its aim is to encourage a collective approach to delivering a future Island that everyone wants to live, work and
play in, the question is how big is your vision?
- For details of the Future Jersey framework go to gov.je/futurejersey.
