Which sentence is an example of a vision statement?

• A. We work hard every day to make American Express the world's most respected service brand.
• B. An action-based statement that declares the purpose of an organization and how they serve their customers.
• C. The 'what,' the 'who,' and the 'why' of a company.
• D. Guidelines by which a company operates.

Answer: (A)

Vision statements describe the future state an organization aims to achieve. The sentence about working hard every day to make American Express the world's most respected service brand expresses a long-term, aspirational goal for how the company wants to be perceived. It looks ahead and paints a picture of success to strive for, which is the essence of a vision statement. The other lines describe present-purpose, the basic elements of what a company does and why, or the guidelines by which the company operates, which aligns more with mission statements or policies rather than a future aspirational view. So the sentence about becoming the world's most respected service brand best fits a vision statement.