There is a whole lot to like here. This has the makings of a great vision statement:
“Our motto — Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet — emphasizes that our vision reaches far beyond just being a food retailer. Our success in fulfilling our vision is measured by customer satisfaction, Team Member excellence and happiness, return on capital investment, improvement in the state of the environment, and local and larger community support.”
Pros: I love the concept of interdependence. We have something to give to customers and employees and they have something to give to us. We are successful if our customers are successful. Ties in very nicely with the principle that Your vision and your customers’ vision should be the same.
They are also doing a great job of defining their brand as everything that really matters and putting the customer first.
Another strong point, is the honest communication you see in this document. They openly admit they are publicly traded and that profits are OK. It is important to be open and honest about that. In addition, this is really powerful, When Whole Foods Market fails to measure up to its stated Vision, as it inevitably will at times, we should not despair. Rather let us take up the challenge together to bring our reality closer to our vision. The future we will experience tomorrow is created one step at a time today.” Finally, I love the passion in the entire vision statement. It really speaks beyond simply selling food.
The biggest negative I see in this vision is that they barely define what the vision is. What is the end state? What do they hope for their customers to accomplish?
Score 8 out 10