TL;DR: Vision gives companies a goal to work towards. It gives teams — especially remote teams — specific objectives that offer step-by-step guidance for accomplishing important goals. Even when remote teams are separated by several time zones, a clear vision statement helps individual team members understand how every decision they make can have a positive impact for the entire company. Here’s how to get started. A vision statement is a lot like your company’s North Star.

You’re a manager. You’re not one to pat yourself on the back, but you’ve got to admit: your team is doing pretty darn well. At least, that’s how it seems to you. Big projects are being checked off the list, deadlines are being met. You haven’t had to referee any heated conflicts, your inbox has no complaints. You’re good! But is that the whole story? Our research suggests your direct reports might describe the situation a wee bit differently.