The Purpose Of Vision

Of course, having done what everyone else (whoever that may be) has 'done', we assume that 'they' and – ipso facto – we have "got the strategy right". However, this is a giant mistake! The mistake? Assuming that the philosophy and the ensuing strategy were "right" in the first place! There is an old saying that goes: "If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten".

We can see this with people that decide they are going to lose a lot of excess weight. They go onto some diet process and 'starve themselves'. Yet many of those that crash diet, forget this simplest of sayings. In diet, it is the total change of lifestyle (not doing what you’ve always done) that leads to the overall change. Thus exercise, lifestyle and the diet are what create the change. They 'live the same life' as before, except for the diet! As a result, a majority of people put the weight back on again – and in fact, put on more weight!

The exact same thing is true of the implementation of Vision as a strategy. So, let us ask you a simple question:

"What is the Purpose of having a Vision?"

The answer we usually get in relation to this, is "To inspire people". Well, if this is the main objective (or purpose) for your Vision, there is a supplementary question:

"How do you inspire anyone?"

Nine times out of ten, when we ask this, it causes the 'questionee' to pause and think! The answer to this simple question, is that to "inspire" (from the Latin meaning, "To breathe life into") someone, to 'fire them up', we have to "emotivate" them. Vision is NOT an intellectual process – it is an emotional process. Probably better than 80% of the Visions we have seen – and we have seen hundreds, if not thousands – are basically sterile tomes about 'being the best', or 'most successful' (whatever that means).

But, just for a moment, think about it! To 'be the best' or to be the 'most successful' is an outcome of doing something else! The Vision must tell us something of HOW we want to be, not WHAT we want be! Think of any of the great Visionaries – Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, etc. What they did was give us a picture of how we WANT to be. Unless the Vision, in part, doesn’t provide this, it becomes some sort of intellectual exercise. It leaves us "cold", emotionally.

Now this doesn’t mean that the "profile" stuff – success, the best, etc – isn’t important. But the Vision must be more than that, if we want to fire people up and get 'buy-in' to the processes of the business.

So what is the emotional factor that you have woven into your Vision, that has got people really fired up about what they are doing?



If you want to know more, the Book, "Visioneering" or "Why do YOU get out of bed each day?" (Information Australia) is now available at all good booksellers! Or, if you prefer a more 'intimate' view of the strategy, give us a call!

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