Vision – where are you going? Part I

Vision is something that gets you where you want to go. Makers have vision in many aspects; ideas that they want to bring to life, taking objects and re-purposing them, helping others realize their ideas. When it comes to their own business though, many makers are not able to express their vision in a meaningful way. When the business grows to the point of needing others to assist, what do you do?

Focus

“The sun provides the earth with billions of kilowatts of energy, yet if you stand in it for an hour, the worst you are going to get is a little sunburn. On the other hand, a few watts of energy focused in one direction is all a laser needs to cut through diamonds” – Al Ries from his book Focus

Like that laser, you need to be able to focus everyone on the vision and ensure that they understand it the way that you do. If you can effectively communicate the vision, you will go further than you expected.

Communication

How exactly do you communicate your vision effectively? You must break down your vision into simple points that allow you to clearly define who you are as an organization, where you are going, and how you will get there. Spending this the time to do this will also help you define your niche as an organization and allow you to keep focused on the areas where you excel most. Then you will be able to effectively explain your vision to your staff and ensure it is embraced by everyone.

Makers must get their vision out of their head and documented. Everyone will be able to see where the company is going and see if they want to go there. If everyone is invested in the vision, problems will be found and resolved more quickly.

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni credits a friend with the following observation: “If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

Break down the Vision

You need to break down you vision to communicate it, but where do you start? First, you must remember that the vision isn’t about you. It is about the company, where the company is going, and how it is going to get there. There are eight areas you need to explore. Start with your core values. They need to be documented.

Core Values

What are core values? During your life, you have had aa set of values that you live by. The company is no different, it has a set of values. They are a small set of vital timeless guiding principles of how the company does business. Less is more in many cases and it is true of your core values, three to seven are typically sufficient. The core values define the company culture and who you truly are as people. Clearly defining these will allow you to attract like-minded people to your organization. People that do not fit with your organization will not stay. Once they are defined, you must hire, fire, review, reward, and recognize people based on these core values. This is how to build a thriving culture around them. So, what are the steps needed to document your core values?

These steps will require your leadership team. If it is just you, then do this in a space where you can focus. Otherwise, schedule time to take the leadership team off site for a couple of hours to a place where you can be alone and focused.

STEP 1

Have each member list three people who, if you could clone them, would lead you to market domination. These three names should preferably come from inside the organization. Once each person has his or her three, put all the names on a whiteboard for everyone to see.

STEP 2

Go over the names and list the characteristics that those people embody. What are the qualities they exemplify? What do they do that puts them on the list? A long list will help so that you can see all the possibilities, for this list more is always better.

STEP 3

Your organization’s core values are in that long list you have just created. Now, narrow it down. In your first round, circle which ones are truly important, draw a line through the ones that are not, and combine those that are similar. Remember, the rule of thumb is between three and seven; after the first round, you should have the list down to somewhere between five and 15.

STEP 4

This is where you are going to make some tough decisions. Through group discussion and debate, decide which really belong and are truly core values. So, if you are solo, take this list and discuss it with your spouse or a few respected friends. Remember, your goal is to get your list down to between three and seven.

Now here is the difficult part: Don’t run out and tell everyone immediately after you have established your core values. Instead, let them simmer for 30 days. Go over them one last time yourself or if you have a team, meet one last time as a team to sign off once and for all on the final list.

The Speech

The next step in the process is to communicate these core values to the rest of the organization. It is time to create your presentation speech. People won’t necessarily understand what you mean if you merely state each core value. That’s why each one needs to be backed up with stories, analogies, and creative illustrations to drive home its importance.

Take each core value and relate it to the company, tell a story about how a staff member used the core values to win with a customer, relate how a core value created an opportunity that would have been lost, or illustrate how the organization is a better place due to a core value.

The speech must relate to everyone why each value is vital to the success of the company. If people walk away from the speech confused, you need to refine it. All of your staff should be infused with a sense of purpose when you are done. You should see smiles and nods from those who are listening, any responses other than that, you will need to find out why. Ask questions of those who are not enthusiastic. Either you were not clear or they are not the right person for your company.

In Practice

Your core values should become a guiding force in your organization and should be incorporated into your hiring process. When you interview employee candidates, they need to hear that speech. They need to know who you are. It is easy to find people with the right skill set, but you want the one that rows in your direction. You will find that your hiring success ratio will increase if you evaluate applicants’ core values before their skill. The reason? It works.

We have reviewed the first of eight areas of your company’s vision. Documenting your core values is an important step to being able to take you company to the next level and being successful. Core focus will be the next area of your vision that we will discuss. Do you understand what the core focus is or should be for your organization?