Vision

Your Vision Inspires Action Towards a Greater Good

Your personal vision is what you care deeply about accomplishing in your life.  It’s fair to say that each stakeholder (including employees, clients, customers and business associates) in your business probably has their own personal vision.

A Shared Vision creates connections between your stakeholders’ personal visions and the work you do in your company. When you find and write down this Shared Vision, you set the bar for your stakeholders to strive towards something that matters deeply to you and each one of them.  It can be the common ground that binds teams together.  The reason customers buy from you instead of your competition.

It’s the famous “why” of your organization. (link to TED talk by Simon Sinek?)

“A shared vision is a vision that many people are truly committed to because in some ways it reflects their own personal vision.” (Senge page 206)

For example, a personal vision might be “caring.” The desire to be connected to an important undertaking.  If this is a quality you look for in the people you bring into your organization, then it is likely part of a shared vision that would unite these same people in your organization.

A shared vision provides the focus and energy for your business to grow into something stronger and more meaningful to its stakeholders.

By linking your stakeholders’ personal visions and your company’s Shared Vision, you connect more deeply with your stakeholders.  This is the root of stronger motivation, sharper team focus. You aim to be “a force in people’s hearts.” (Senge)

How to Determine your Shared Vision:

Understand –  Take time to brainstorm, discuss and think though what your personal and shared visions are. Try on the words in the attached PDF tool.  Find what resonates for you and your team.

Then, describe your shared vision as clearly as possible.  Choose the best words to describe this shared “force.”

Apply – Demonstrate how the work that your company does can become part of pursuing a larger purpose?

Analyze – Examine other shared visions in your community, church, association, or the larger business community.

Evaluate – Evaluate if this shared vision matters to each level of stakeholder in your organization.  Does it apply to your employees, suppliers, fans and customers?

-Are your business practices, work, and finished products in line with this Shared Vision?

Create – Create a written one-page statement of your company’s shared vision.

Action Item:

Create a written short statement of your company’s Shared Vision. This will describe what your company stands for in the world, or why your company exists on a values-level.

Go Further: Consider how your shared vision can become the foundation of your Company Promise and Mission Statement.

Put into words how this shared vision shows up in your business, and what needs to happen to keep this shared vision working within your business. This is the basis of your strategy or strategic actions for practicing your shared vision within your company.

Document your Shared Vision, Company Promise, Mission Statement and Strategic Actions on a visually-appealing poster.

Post this in your company.

Use this as a foundational piece to help guide decisions and focus your organization’s work.

Re-evaluate and modify this piece as your business (and vision) grows.