The Strength of Clear Vision

Does your team know your vision for this year?

Can they articulate the vision in their own words?

Is each team member able to share how their role contributes to achieving the vision?

If you had your team close their eyes and all point North without opening their eyes, you would most likely find people pointing in different directions. If they all walked in the direction of their perspective of North for 500m, most would not even be able to see another team member. 

For many businesses, a lack of clarity in setting and sharing the vision results in a similar dissipation of effort. People generally come to work wanting to do their best. When people are not aligned, this desire to work hard and do well can result in people actively working against each other, thinking they are helping the company and teams reach their goals.

“Vision” is a picture of the future that is so compelling that it pulls you forward.  When a whole team is being drawn towards a strong, clear compelling vision, this creates a synergy that multiplies effort.

Your vision is your picture of where you want to be in the future. It is similar to GPS coordinates in that it allows you and your team to create your strategy to arrive in this clear, future destination. This also allows you to adjust your path as needed along the way and shows what detours are required. It gives time indications, against which you can measure and track your progress. When a vision is very well articulated and understood, it adds an incredible clarity to the daily actions of each team member and gives people a sense of purpose.

Clarity equals action! Team members working in a structure where the vision is clearly known are able to make decisions a lot quicker. They are able to have a greater degree of autonomy and are inclined to be more creative and have an increased willingness to trial new approaches. When a team is aligned, it adds a lot of certainty and this is one of the key factors in creating a safe work environment.

Companies with clear vision attract and retain people. In the current market place this ability is important. People need purpose. People need to know that they matter and that what they do makes a positive difference. This work environment fosters the belief that the combined effort of the team is being utilised towards a greater good. The impact is significant. This accumulative effect creates a culture where people want to come to work.

How strong and clear is your vision? Do you need to create some clarity around this and communicate it to your team to make the best of this year?