We are continuing our series on strategic planning and have come to the section that talks about vision.
A key aspect of our strategic planning sessions involves articulating the unsaid vision statement…and sometimes we have to really pull it out of the owner.
Man, I hate how trite mission/vision/values (we’ll talk about values on the next blog in this series) sounds—it feels like Consulting 101, yet it is so important to the ultimate health and thriving of an entity.
For me, “vision” will forever be tainted by George Herbert Walker Bush’s inadvertent throwaway phrase back in the late ‘80s. When asked about what he wanted to do if he won the presidency and where he wanted to take the country, his response was “Oh, the vision thing.”
Yes, the vision thing. (Insert massive cringe.)
Why, business owner, are you breaking your back over your business? What is that dream to which you aspire (even if you don’t really think you’ll ever get there)?
Dr. Physician (go ahead, say it)? “Cure cancer.”
Ms. Lawyer? “Ensure every defendant has a fair trial.”
Mr. Engineer? “Democratize the automobile.”
…Or whatever.
The point is this: you need an aspirational goal that will propel you even beyond the mission that you wrote.
Dream big. And yes, focus on the “vision thing.”
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