The most successful entrepreneurs have one thing in common: a powerful vision. Vision is what guides them, their mantra, and the foundation on which they build their business. It’s something that sustains entrepreneurs through tough times and fuels them to keep going when things get difficult. And it can be yours too!
This article will show you how to craft your own vision and give you some tools for keeping it alive every day so that you stay focused on what matters most–your mission.
Paint The Picture
One of the central tenets to any company’s success is having a clear vision. If every member in your organization understands how you are trying to grow, it will be easier for everyone to support and work towards that goal.
I’ve struggled with finding two words that could describe our business strategy at first. Still, after finally settling on “grow profitably,” I felt more confident about explaining what we do as an agency because now all employees know exactly what they’re working toward when supporting their customers’ goals.
The tools that Cameron Herold has identified to help entrepreneurs create a clear vision for their company are wonderful. For instance, the decision filter helps define what “success” looks like and how impactful it would be if reached. The Vivid Vision tool also assists in sharing your ideas with others, so they understand where to take them next!
There are many great resources available right now for creating a strong business plan or idea map, but my favorite is from entrepreneur and speaker Cameron Herold.
His Vivid Vision Tool allows people facing an unclear direction to find clarity by describing their thoughts in detail, which can then be shared through his website and other sites such as Facebook groups, LinkedIn, etc., allowing more people access without having to reach out individually.
Involve Others
You can’t read the label from inside the jar. From my perspective, a key element of maintaining your entrepreneurial vision involves others in its fulfillment. You can’t achieve your vision entirely by yourself, and other people are necessary to hold you accountable for what you’re trying to do- which will help keep that dream alive.
You can take many routes to gain help from others, but I have found a few of them more valuable than the rest. For example, I’ve been involved with an organization for entrepreneurs and participated in a small group forum for ten years, which has helped me grow tremendously individually.
My personal growth also accelerated when I hired my first coach, who saw things that even I couldn’t know about myself; if you don’t prioritize your development, it will limit what your company can do as well!
Look At Important Data
It’s easy to get bogged down in data, but it is important not only for solving the present but also future roadblocks. While logic and data are limited in their ability to fix a problem- you need more than just numbers alone. They can certainly clue you in to whether or not your vision has merit.
So, when deciding how best to solve an issue at work, using both financial and nonfinancial information tracked regularly will help determine if we’re moving closer to our goal.
Data is the most essential ingredient in any journey to success. As such, entrepreneurs must gather data on their campaigns and measure benchmarks so they can know before it’s too late if what they’re doing will be successful or not.
For example, without metrics for how many leads are being generated and those that convert into customers. Companies would never really know whether they were on track with reaching a goal until after seeing financial statements- which will hit them like an inevitable brick wall!
Take Away
What is your company’s vision? Is it clear to everyone in the organization? If not, you need a better plan for communicating that message. To help ensure you stay on track and maintain clarity of purpose throughout your planning process. Try using this simple formula from Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great”: A = B + C.
This means articulating what you want (A), breaking down why it’s important (B). Then adding points on how those things are connected or linked to each other (C). In other words, be crystal clear about your goals by defining them as specific outcomes plus reasons that matter. Then monitor the progress constantly, so nothing falls through the cracks!
