Recently I had a colleague confess to me that he was struggling to establish and push a vision for his company. He explained that he understood the purpose and potential benefits of having and promoting a vision for his company but he admitted he just wasn’t sure how to make his vision work for him. He wasn’t sure how to use the vision to inspire and align his workforce. Thinking about this, I’ve come up with some simple steps to help us make our visions work for us.
# 1 Write it Down
If we struggling to promote or work towards our vision, the first thing to do is write it down. Writing down our vision helps to make it real and clear. Often a vision stuck in our head is not as clear as it may be once we write it down. Writing down the vision gives it true meaning and significance bringing it to life and making it a reality rather than an obscure concept. Also, writing our vision allows us to better assess the vision to ensure it says what we really hope to become which is step number two.
#2 Analyze it
Once your vision is written down—analyze it. The purpose of analyzing your vision is to make sure you got it right. Is it really what you want to accomplish? Does reading your vision excite you and make you want to be better?! Does your vision invoke passion and enthusiasm?! Will your vision drive performance? If you can answer yes to these questions, then you are ready for step 3.
#3 Create a Plan
Once your vision is written down and solidified, it is time to come up with a plan to achieve it! This happens by establishing goals and steps to reach your vision. Whether the vision is for one person or an entire corporation, each goal set must clearly contribute to or work toward reaching the vision.
#4 Promote it
While developing and implementing the plan, promote the vision. This is done by communication, communication, and more communication. Your written, verbal, (and even body language) communication must speak to your vision. Memos, meetings, emails, discussions, display cases, bulletin boards, interviews, one-on-ones, appointments, etc. must speak to your vision. During formal or informal conversations, your vision must be apart of it. Indeed, your vision must become apart of you. Your actions are also critical and must be consistent with achieving the vision. You know you’ve promoted your vision well when each decision made is made with the end in mind or the vision in mind.
#5 Re-evaluate it
Finally, you must re-evaluate your vision continually. Times change, circumstances change, and people change and sometimes a vision no longer inspires or motivates, or is really what you want to become. Thus, in order to keep your vision alive and working for you , it is important to re-evaluate it frequently. During this evaluation if you determine it is time for a new vision, simply start back at step number one.
Following these five steps will help make your vision work for you. Don’t delay in establishing a vision for your life, family, department, organization, or whatever you are apart of. The journey to success starts with the end in mind—a vision!
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