Vision: Part One - Vision Steers
PART ONE: VISION STEERS
Why is it important to have a vision? Your vision or lack of vision is steering you in a direction. If you ever experience blurred vision, then you know it can be a big distraction. This blog is one of a series of nine blogs to assist you in developing the action behind your vision. We explore growing your vision, mission and purpose. Is your vision clear, inspiring, engaging, positive? Does your vision focus you, your team and associates to create specific and measurable results?
Vision Steers You Through The Fog
I remember being thirty miles off shore, and a dense fog settled in quickly on our way back to the shore. The captain was already dialed in to our direction. Despite the sudden fog and waves displaying a demeanor of confidence, the captain displayed peace and joy while remaining focused. We trusted our captain because he was dialed in and focused on where to go and how to get us back to the shore safely. He was pre-dialed in despite the sudden fog. What are you dialed into regarding your vision?
Where Is Your Vision Taking You?
Are you clear on what your business, organizational and personal vision is? What if you knew you could not fail, what would your vision be? Has the fog limited the possibilities due to events and situations blurring your focus? Our heart with this blog and the next eight blogs on vision is to assist you in dialing in so clear that it influences your choices! How important is vision? Every business and organization is going in a direction – the question is, is it intentional?
Vision Inventory
Where is your vision steering you?
What values are feeding your vision?
Do your leaders and team know the vision, mission and purpose?
What supporting structure sustains your vision?
How do you stay on course during decisions and distractions?
Throughout The Next Nine Blogs Take Action
What if you write down discoveries that lead to action?
Write down key values that are highlighted to you.
Write down ideas on why your business exists.
Write down where is your vision taking you?
What does it cost you and others without clear vision?
Clarity of Vision
Think of a vision so clear that despite the fog of uncertainty, your mission, purpose, and vision are clearly written down. What instruments are navigating you and your team with confidence through foggy weather? Does you team know if they’re going in the right direction? The GPS is always giving feedback. What are you measuring to receive feedback to stay on course? Think along with me as these blogs are unpacked for ideas to measure the results of what you do. Ask yourself, are you avoiding measuring certain things due to pain or current reality? What if the pain from the past actually gets turned into a future asset feeding growth? What if you choose to face the situation and create your way forward allowing your vision to feed positive possibilities?
Making In Flight Adjustments
I was flying over the Atlantic to Europe and out of nowhere our plane suddenly dropped 500 feet! The captain announced what took place and his ability to measure and make adjustments while still flying on purpose kept us all safe. How does your vision and processes supporting the vision influence you, your team’s goals and results? How is your vision influencing your day to day choices and goals? A clear vision will steer your business, team and culture around obstacles making choices on purpose! What would life look like with a very clear vision personally and professionally? A clear vision will help to transform our reaction and responses despite opportunities, obstacles, disappointments, economic changes and events.
Inspiring Vision
Does your vision inspire you? Here is something to think about, If your vision moves you, it will move others! If your vision does not move you, it will not move others! In the simplest illustration, sitting with family watching a child during the holidays exploring the potential gift and what’s inside! Have you watched someone sing a song and they made the song come alive because the song was living in them? A living vision will inspire others on your team to excel!
Power of Written Vision
Is your vision written down? Can you write your vision out in seven or less words? Think for a moment, why does your business or organization exist? Your vision steers your organization, with certainty, in a specific direction. A written vision reminds everyone what you will become as a company or organization.
A quick note: A thriving vision has to go beyond making money. Have you ever driven to a destination and your passion to get there was contagious? Possibly your vision causes you to travel for specific reasons. Imagine driving on a long trip on vacation with the turns, exits, rest stops and fuel stops and after each stop, you get back on the road celebrating you are getting closer! The reward of the vacation empowers you to keep going until arrival!
What Is Steering The Vision?
Something is steering every organization – either a vision or lack of vision! Take a moment and write down what is influencing the direction of your vision?
How do events, situations or staff influence the direction of your vision?
Is your vision bigger than the situations and obstacles?
When fear or resistance shows its face is your vision big enough to smile back?
What would be possible to have a vision so clear that it steers you through confusion, chaos, financial situations, even daily choices? In the next blog, we will explore how and why your vision strengthens you.
With Gratitude,
Ed Garner, CMC