You’ve probably seen a movie where someone visits a Gypsy woman to have their future foretold. She gazes intently into a large crystal ball and then begins to predict impending doom or untold riches with the words, “I see your future, and…”
What can you do if you want to know your future, and particularly the future of your company? Well, you could start searching on eBay for a used crystal ball, or you can foretell your own future by developing a vision statement that puts you in control of your destiny – instead of relying on the stars, Karma, or luck.
I’m not taking about a vision statement that is typically short and nondescript, and would make a better slogan than a detailed picture of your future. I’m talking about a detailed word picture that Cameron Herold, in his book, “Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profits in 3 Years or Less,” calls a “painted picture.” This type of vision specifically describes what your business and life will look and be like in the next three years. He uses this timeline because it is short enough to create a strategic plan that is realistic and achievable, but long enough to implement innovative solutions and see their results within the three years.
The vision you create should be compelling and visual so it creates “buy-in” for your entire staff, and allows them to see the same vision that is in your mind. Many vision statements are too simple and vague, and therefore fall short of their mark to create a compelling word picture.
When it’s complete, you will have a detailed document that is between three to four pages. The contents of your painted picture should be a multi-sensory description of what you would see, hear, and feel as you walked around your workplace in the future. It should say what the media, community, and your customers will say about you. You’ll want to state how much your company earns in sales and profits, and you could include the type of employees who work for you and the core values you’ve instilled, that allow them to make good decisions.
You can include as many more categories as you need or want. Some categories could include customer service, marketing, technology, and your ideal work-life balance. Ultimately, your future business should provide you the resources and time to create your ideal lifestyle.
An important distinction is to focus on what you want and where you’re going, rather than how you plan to get there. That will happen when you dig into the details to create a strategic plan. Your painted picture should be a big picture look at your business from 30,000-foot, and the end results you’ll realize toward the end of your journey.
Herold’s own painted picture includes a short, but descriptive paragraph written in 16 different categories of his business and personal life. You can read a copy of it on his website at www.backpocketcoo.com. He encourages people to share their vision with employees, suppliers, bankers, and even customers. The reason for this is it gets your stakeholders to align with your vision and goals so that they understand their role in the grand scheme of things and how they will benefit. Some of them may even play a critical role in its realization.
You could even take it to another level by having an artist or graphic designer make it more engaging with visual imagery. Or, you could create a PowerPoint slideshow with photos and graphics to illustrate your word picture with real pictures.
Review it periodically, both individually and with your employees. Herold suggests reviewing the vision at a quarterly retreat where each person circles the words that mean the most to them before brainstorming ways to make it happen. One executive reads a section of the painted picture at the start of every meeting where more than two people are in attendance. Six months before the three year period ends, you should start crafting your next painted picture.
If you don’t have a vision statement, or one of those vague one-to-three sentence statements that doesn’t inspire anyone, you may want to consider putting together your own painted picture. When it’s complete, you could hold a company event, and if you have a dramatic flair, you could have someone, dressed as a Gypsy, gaze intently into a large crystal ball as she begins reciting your vision with the worlds, “I see your future, and…”
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