083 – The Language of Vision
We are talking about Vision in the context of Growing a Self-Managed business
As you just heard in my podcast intro:
You’re at the right place to, get a bigger vision of Your Life AND Your Business, and THEN, learn how to make that vision a reality.
Vision can mean a lot of different things, but for a business it is an essential part of your strategy for leadership and growth
It is an overly used word that loses its meaning – its Impact.
- Oh I’ve heard all that before.
- Or, yeah we did that – we wrote a vision statement for our company.
No! Guard against that.
Vision is HUGELY important for your success.
Vision answers the questions:
- What do you really want?
- What do you want to become? Not just what do you want to do
- What do I want my life to look like?
- How would you describe your ideal Lifestyle?
Visioning is Dreaming – and thinking BIG!
If you are the Owner of the business, then your personal vision and business vision must integrate – they must fit together elegantly.
Here’s why…
- We are talking about work life balance
- What will it profit you if you build a thriving business and lose all the other things that make life beautiful? Your family, your health, your peace of mind and ability to enjoy your prosperity
- If you’re listening to my podcast I talk about how to build a Lifestyle Business – how to have a business and a life
- This is the language of a Self-Managed business
- AND by SELF I don’t mean you by yourself – I mean the Business manages itself with the talented trained people using finely tuned systems
Horst Shultz, co-founder of The Ritz Carlton talks about interviewing potential candidates for a GM or other leadership position and he asks them, “What is your vision for your life?”
IF they start talking about how to raise occupancy or improve the hotel – he knows that they don’t get it
NO! What is your vision for your life?
Create the Vision for your life, Then go to work on your business to make that Vision a reality
You’re at the right place to, get a bigger vision of Your Life AND Your Business, and THEN, learn how to make that vision a reality.
Know exactly what you want. Have a big vision that is crystal clear.
Painter Agnes Martin on the one thing you have to know in life:
“There are so many people who don’t know what they want. And I think that, in this world, that’s the only thing you have to know — exactly what you want.”
THIS is exactly why Vision is so important – If you know what you want – you will likely get it.
Then you have to ask – will I like it when I get it.
“Be Careful of the success you desire – bc you will likely get it”
Knowing your Vision gives you clarity in your work
Know your vision before you go to work OR you will likely work on the wrong things.
You as the leader of the Business Must not only Know the Vision and be able to clearly state it for yourself – you must be able to communicate to your team in a memorable and consistent way!
I am going to give you 3 quotes that have been a Guiding force as I built my business:
They all speak to Vision without using the word vision:
- Efficiency is Doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.
- It’s not enough to do your best, you must know what to do and then do your best.
- Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right things
Every one of these quotes is about Vision!
Vision is effectiveness – Doing the RIGHT thing
Vision is knowing what to do – choosing from all the possible ways to invest your day and choosing the highest and best
Lastly, Vision is leadership. Management is important, but leaders set the Vision for the managers to follow.
I have seen this in my own company many times.
Wonderfully capable staff, working hard – On the wrong things.
AND as the leader, that’s my fault.
Here’s another quote by Deming: “There is nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency something that does not need doing.”
Ouch that one hurt if you’re a leader.
FOCUS On One Thing
Where the FOCUS Goes the Energy Flows
Keep the Vision in front of you – or else you are chasing Shiny object and Squirrels
Andy Stanley – Making Vision Stick
“Vision is about what could be and should be. As important as we believe it is for people in our organizations to embrace our pictures of the future – – – their lives are consumed with the present life – about deadlines and decisions and problem-solving, about the house and the bills and the yard. To get people to sit still long enough to understand your vision is a challenge.
We need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves how can I make the vision clear, simpler and more accessible?
What can I do to make it stick? How do I drive this Vision down into every level of the organization?”
