How clear is your vision? Whether we consider the dream destination for your business/department or your personal ambitions within your career, a well-defined vision is crucial for any success, and particularly to sustain it. Yet, the concept of 'vision' is often glossed over after its initial creation, rarely revisited as businesses evolve and markets change. Deciding upon a vision is considered by many to be a time-wasting chore that is only โticking boxesโ.
Vision gives a company a platform from which a ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ can be built, and this in turn drives ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ. Therefore, without it you are tying one of your hands behind your back running the business or department.
Yet a significant number of companies neglect to regularly review their vision. Research indicates that only about 23% of companies review their vision annually. Given that, inarguably, the environment in which we work ๐๐ถ๐น๐น constantly change, the majority have visions that are at best outdated, and potentially completely irrelevant. This turns what should be a guiding star into a forgotten relic of the companyโs past ambitions.
For individual employees, the misalignment between personal career objectives and the company's direction can lead to decreased engagement and satisfaction.
When was the last time you examined your vision? Is it still meaningful and does it inspire? For many leaders, these questions serve as a wake-up call to realign their goals with the present realities and future possibilities. Reviewing a companyโs vision, or your personal career objectives, shouldnโt be ignored, nor an optional chore that โcan waitโ. It is a strategic necessity that drives decision-making and fosters an adaptive, responsive organisational culture.
How confident are you that your vision is evolving in step with your companyโs growth and the ever-changing market environment in which you operate.
Donโt be one of the 77%.
I try to meet with, virtually or in person, lots of my business and coaching contacts, and I find this an effective way of keeping up to date with the latest relevant issues. It also helps to ‘ground’ me and encourage me to check in with my own work and approach. Along the way I have lots of discussions about leadership which inevitably entails wildly differing views and opinions.
Out of the proliferation of remote work during and after COVID, a new challenge for organisations has emerged: many important skills are not easily, or cannot be, nurtured through screens. In the traditional office environment, the subtle yet powerful process of learning osmotically plays a critical role. Leaders model behaviours, and employees, often subconsciously, absorb crucial skills such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and intuitive decision-making. Even resilience can be enhanced through witnessing other people’s coping mechanisms.
Reflecting on what I feel makes a leader truly great, I realise that leadership is generally misunderstood. It should not be about rank or authority;