Hur som, Neil inspirerar och just idag var hans Magic Monday-veckobrev kanske mer träffande än någonsin. Neil (och Johan): tack för den nyckeln! Gav mig en ahaupplevelse och öppnade minst en låsning idag.
»I am coming to the conclusion that the single most important step that we can take as an individual, family, team, business, community or country is to have a clearly articulated vision, that we understand and buy into and that delivers value for all of the stakeholders.
As soon as we have a vision (and I mean instantly) it gives a focus and a clarity to our work. It gives us a benchmark for performance and a guide for decisions. Without a clear vision we just flop about or go in circles. If the EU had a clear vision it would help resolve the debt crisis. In the same way any other project we might undertake is facilitated by having a clear understanding of what we seek to achieve.
Vision does not stand alone it needs to come with it’s partners:
- Purpose (why we are pursuing the vision)
- Mission ( the resources, often financial required to achieve the vision)
- Values (the ethical boundaries we put around what we are prepared to do to achieve our vision).
- Strategy (resources, roles and sequential steps from here to the vision)
Vision, just makes the biggest difference.
A vision is not a statement of intent or a commitment – it is a desire articulated clearly and shared. If circumstances change it can be changed.
A vision needs to meet the following criteria:
- To be understandable
- To be memorable
- To add value to all stakeholders
It does NOT need to be realistic. In fact articulating a vision based on what we currently believe to be possible turns it from a vision into just a step of a project or strategy. The vision is a statement of what we really want to have happen – regardless of “reality”. The strategy must be realistic – but the vision does not need to be.
Vision, mission and values statements still generate a degree of cynicism. This is because of the way they were conceived in the old days. They used to be the product of the marketing department and bore very little relation to what actually happened in the company. The vision, mission and values did not guide day to day activity or leadership style or rewards and sanctions policy – they were just there to look good to customers, investors or prospective employees.
Increasingly these days, this is no longer the case, vision, mission and values are now being used to inform policy, shape culture and strategy, select recruits, promote and dismiss.
If you have not articulated them for yourself, your family, your team, your business or any other community you are part of – why not start?
With love
nx «
