Your Vision Is Not A Dream
How achievable is your company vision?
There’s something that happens when business leaders start building out a picture of their company’s future.
That “picture” can quickly become fantastic.
Oh, forgive me. I meant fantastical.
If your vision looks more like a dream than a potential reality, you’ve ultimately missed the point.
***
To be clear: I’m well aware that visioning exercises often start with letting go of limits.
I’m a fan of ideating, thinking big, and expanding the possibilities.
That’s where creating a vision starts.
But not where it should finish.
Ultimately, your company vision is a business tool. It’s a communication tool. An alignment tool.
Tools are useful. They are a means to an end.
In this case, a vision is supposed to help your company set the course for what it does tomorrow, and 3 months from now, and 3 years from now.
If your team can’t see the path that will take them from today to the future state, they won’t be able to act accordingly.
***
In my experience, there are three main reasons companies fail to make meaningful progress toward their visions:
1. Your vision isn’t linked to your finances. It’s unrealistic, and nobody on your team is buying it.
2. Your vision lacks conviction. The vision may seem achievable from a financial perspective, but if you don’t believe in your ability to get there…you probably won’t.
3. Your vision doesn’t motivate you. At the end of the day, your business is a vehicle to get you where you want to be in your life. Honestly, if achieving your vision isn’t going to make you any happier than you are today, is it worth working for?
***
I love that quote from Bill Gates: “Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years.”
You should dream big when you create your vision. Then, temper that dreaming with a healthy dose of skepticism.
If you have a vision that’s ambitious but achievable—and, most importantly, gets you out of bed in the morning—the time will fly.
A year is the blink of an eye.
Three years is basically tomorrow.
Will future you be living in the reality of your vision, or still dreaming about the next big thing?
P.S. If your current company vision is unsatisfying—or unrealistic—please let us help! You deserve better. Connect with our consulting team here.
