Vision is a picture of the future that provides clarity and direction. Effective leaders have or create a process through which their team can envision the future.
There can be many different visions within the organization that you work in, however, creating a vision for your team may be one of the most powerful things you do.
WHY?
Because without one people may lose motivation and that spark that connects them to the larger picture and the WHY behind what you are asking them to achieve.
So how do you create a vision? There are no right or wrong answers here.
A great idea is to gather your leadership team and involve them. Don’t expect that once a vision is formed that it won’t change be prepared to continue to refine as you learn and grow in your objectives. Changes in technology is an excellent example of how visions can change fast.
Once you have your vision critique it.
- Is it challenging?
- Doe’s it motivate and inspire you and your team?
- Is it easy to understand?
- Can it be used to guide decision making?
- Is it stable, yet evolving over time?
- Is it consistent or compatible with your organization’s vision?
To start crafting your vision, answer these questions and begin to think about how you could create a critical priority list.
- What keeps you up at night? about the business?
- What is your competition doing?
- Who are the new competitors?
- What changes would dramatically impact how you positively do business?
- What are your customers asking for?
- What are your most significant barriers to drive your goals and aspirations?
- To start envisioning the future create several alternative views of it.
- Ask yourself what changes do you expect? What changes might occur? What will help you attract and retain top talent? What are your current successes that you want to bring into the future?
Using a SWOT tool is also an excellent way to analyze your effectiveness and what you want to achieve.
As a Leader of others its essential that you ponder these and take time out of the everyday routine of answering emails, sitting in meetings and interacting with team members and customers
I always ask myself this powerful but simple question.
What do I want to be remembered for doing?
This helps me think about my vision for my team and what my legacy as a leader will be. It may be different at different times, however, think about what accomplishments you would want to leave behind you that you would have contributed to not only the organization but also the word that you live in. We are all connected.
Your legacy will follow you, no matter if you run a small retail store or head up an entire company. You make a difference in how teams and customers feel about what they do so remember that and paint a picture for your team to inspire them to deliver not only exceptional results but also powerful experiences.
Stories are told way after the impact of the action taken. Stories fuel action and inspiration.
What story are you creating for others to tell?
Thanks for reading,
April
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