Successful organizations have long known about the power unleashed across a team when people are galvanized around an effective vision. There are dozens of approaches to facilitating an organizational vision process. The essential process is all about linking imagination and strategy – taking intuitive, creative and informed leaps into a possible aspirational future
Having a clear, compelling vision–and getting buy-in from your team–is essential to effective leadership.
● If you don’t know where you’re going, how on earth will you get there?
● But how do you craft that vision? How do you get others on board?
And how do you put that vision into practice at every level of your organization?
A clear vision answers these “Fundamental Four” questions being asked by your team, whether or not you hear them:
Ø What are we trying to achieve? (Goals)
Ø How are we going to achieve it? (Plans)
Ø How can I contribute? (Roles)
Ø What’s in it for me? (Rewards)
Why it’s important to ask vision questions
Vision and mission statements are developed by asking relevant, thoughtful vision questions are the foundation of an effective organizational culture. An organization that advances a clear set of values and intentions more easily attracts motivated employees with similar values. Such employees are more likely to stay engaged with the organization long term and to produce high-quality work because they see themselves as part of something bigger than themselves.
Now comes the time to craft your vision statement. Likely you have heard the term elevator pitch; a short description of an idea that can be explained fully in the time it takes for an average elevator ride. This concept holds true for crafting your companies vision statement as well. It should be short and sweet. It should avoid business jargon and should be put in a way everyone will understand. Your vision statement should be specific to your business and should incorporate the values you determined earlier.
Vision Questions to ask yourself
Some things to consider when starting to craft your vision statement:
· Align it with your personal and business company core values.
· Use the present tense.
· Use concise unambiguous language.
· Make it inspiring and exciting.
· Dream big.
Whether you’re launching a new organization or refocusing an existing one, knowing what vision questions to ask yourself can be challenging. Here are some vision questions you can reflect on to get started:
· What are your core values?
· What problem does my organization seek to solve?
· Who is affected by the problem or insufficiency you’re addressing?
· Why do I believe this problem needs to be addressed?
· Does this problem matter to other people?
· Do I honestly believe we have the answer to that problem?
· What do you hope your organization will have accomplished in five years?
· What do you hope your organization will have accomplished in 10 years?
· What is my dream for this organization?
· How would things be different if my dream came true?
· Does my dream connect on a personal level with others?
· How can I make my vision connect with the rest of my team?
Assuming you’re convinced that a clear vision is essential to your organization, you need to document it……This is easier said than done