“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no VISION!” Helen Keller
John F. Kennedy famously dreamed of putting a man on the moon. Eleanor Roosevelt envisioned a world of equal opportunity for women and minorities. Henry Ford envisioned every family with an automobile. We would not enjoy the fruits of their labor, had they not had compelling visions!
Individuals with clear and compelling visions change the world. Companies that have clear and compelling visions change the world. Companies that don’t are destined for mediocrity or failure!
Will you start 2017 with a clear vision?
Engagement Starts with Vision!
We hear time and again that more than two-thirds of our workforce are disengaged. Gallup’s research shows that ensuring employees have opportunities to do what they do best every day and emphasizing mission and purpose are the two strongest factors for retaining Millennials, Generation Xers, and Baby Boomers.
To have a powerful mission and purpose, you must first have a compelling Vision! The Vision is what you see once your work is done through your mission. The Vision is the end, the mission is the means to that end. The mission is what you do to get to your Vision . . . by serving your purpose.
According to Fast Company, “People want to see that the leader’s farsightedness [vision] is based on a deep sense of what’s necessary, right and good for the business and the team rather than what’s simply expeditious, popular, or self-serving.” When you have a vivid Vision that you get your team excited about, your company will do amazing things!
How To Create a Compelling Vision?
There are several vision tools and exercises out there but I work with my clients primarily using the EOS Vision / Traction Organizer. It’s proven to work! It simplifies the Vision into 5 critical questions:
1) What are your Core Values?
2) What is your Core Focus?
3) What is your 10-year Target?
4) What is your Marketing Strategy?
5) What is your 3-Year Picture?
When you and your leadership team can answer these 5 questions with absolute clarity and consistency, you will change many lives for a grander purpose that your company serves. Don’t get stuck on the “how” before this vision is vivid by your leadership team, or you will throttle back your vision to what’s expected which becomes your new reality. Michael Hyatt says, “Vision and strategy are both important. But there is a priority to them. Vision always comes first. Always. If you have a clear vision, you will eventually attract the right strategy. If you don’t have a clear vision, no strategy will save you.”
Having a clear vision alone will not change lives. The leaders of the company must live it. People must witness the vision serving as the leadership team’s compass. It must be used in every decision, strategy and action. Fast Company tells the story of how Steve Jobs operated Apple in 1976 with the vision that almost everyone would one day have a computer and they would be easy-to-use as televisions, even when the personal computer was still new and untested.
How Do You Envision Your Company 3-10 Years from Now?
Fast-forward to the year 2020. Close your eyes and picture what your company looks like. What kind of employees do you have and what roles do they play? What culture do you have? What products/services are you offering and has your mix changed? What markets are you in? What types of clients are you working with and how has your company changed their lives? How have you impacted the world in your own unique ways?
Do you see it? Can you and your leadership team envision it? Can your mind’s eye focus on it?
If you can, you will get there faster. It all starts with Vision!
Don’t start 2017 with a hope and a short-sighted vision. Create a vivid Vision that you and your team can get behind. See an example of Michael Hyatt’s as he became the publisher of Nelson Books.
Don’t be blind! Leverage your sight and live out your Vision!
Take the Organizational Checkup to gauge the health of your company, including the clarity of your vision! For more information on creating a healthy business lifestyle, read about the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
To Your Business Health!