Thoughts About Vision (Part 3)

Yesterday we looked at part 2, Why You Need A Vision.  Today we are shifting to part 3, Profile of an Effective Vision.

From-To

I’ve found it’s not enough to say what you’re aiming to become (the “to”) of any vision statement.  You need to spell out what you are transitioning “from”.

Why?  Partly because if you know your destination but you don’t know where you are presently, how can you possibly plan the journey?  After all, if I say I want to arrive at Edinburgh but I don’t know where I am right now, I’ve no chance of figuring out the best route.  It sounds obvious when we think about it like that, but so many organisations don’t define their present position when defining their vision.

There’s another reason.  “Vision” has gained such a bad name that when you present it you can be confident there will sceptics and cynics in your audience.  How will they judge whether your vision is credible?  By seeing whether you have summed up today’s position accurately.  If you have, in my experience they’ll approach your “to” with a more positive, open mind.  I’ve seen this point proven repeatedly.

Finally, a two-part statement spelling out the “from” and “to” creates an exciting sense of journey, but one that’s grounded because you know where you’re starting from.  The aim is to have your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.

Other Characteristics

I’d say there are five other characteristics of an effective vision:

• It’s a vision of what you’re going to become, not a financial target nor a plan. (The plan comes afterwards.)
• It sets the frame for your performance goals – goals that make your vision come alive. Goals that drive action plans and sharp strategic choices.
• It’s attractive because it’s distinctive (it’s not copying what others are doing), it reflects your values and is perhaps even unique.
• It’s credible to you, meaning you believe it, you FEEL you can do it.
• You WANT to get to the destination. It motivates you and others at all levels.

We’ll look at part 4 – the Difference Between Vision and Mission – the final part, tomorrow.