A Business Vision: Your Most Important Asset
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The Second Key Word; Worthwhile
"There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, and achievable vision of the future, widely shared."
Burt Nanus, in his great book "Visionary Leadership," says that to be "the most powerful force driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success," a vision of the organization's future must be attractive, worthwhile, achievable, and widely shared. In the previous post we talked about making our vision attractive. Now, let's explore why it's so important that your organization's vision be Worthwhile.
In the same sense that "beautiful" is often not enough to guarantee success, your vision of the future must not only be attractive but it must be worthwhile. When an organization thinks about its future, and decides what it should become, that vision always depicts a future that is greatly different from what it is. To become what it wants to be the organization will work very hard. It will dedicate its resources of money, time, skills, and energy to achieve the end result - its vision. The vision will be a powerful motivator only if all those involved in its achievement believe wholeheartedly that the vision will be worth the effort! They will commit themselves to it.
Other stakeholders, those not inside the organization but affected by it, such as customers, clients, patrons, volunteer workers, or investors, will recognize the dedication of insiders and wish to connect with and share it. The organization's vision will be worth their while, also.
Burt Nanus, in his great book "Visionary Leadership," says that to be "the most powerful force driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success," a vision of the organization's future must be attractive, worthwhile, achievable, and widely shared. In the previous post we talked about making our vision attractive. Now, let's explore why it's so important that your organization's vision be Worthwhile.
In the same sense that "beautiful" is often not enough to guarantee success, your vision of the future must not only be attractive but it must be worthwhile. When an organization thinks about its future, and decides what it should become, that vision always depicts a future that is greatly different from what it is. To become what it wants to be the organization will work very hard. It will dedicate its resources of money, time, skills, and energy to achieve the end result - its vision. The vision will be a powerful motivator only if all those involved in its achievement believe wholeheartedly that the vision will be worth the effort! They will commit themselves to it.
Other stakeholders, those not inside the organization but affected by it, such as customers, clients, patrons, volunteer workers, or investors, will recognize the dedication of insiders and wish to connect with and share it. The organization's vision will be worth their while, also.
The First Key Word About Your Vision: Attractive
"There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, and achievable vision of the future, widely shared."
Burt Nanus, in his great book "Visionary Leadership," says that to be the most powerful force driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success, a vision of the organization's future must be: attractive, worthwhile, achievable, and widely shared. Let's explore why these words are so important.
About "attractive:' Now you may say that it is obvious that an organization's vision of the future must be attractive. But there may be more to this than you see at first. Certainly the vision must be attractive for it to motivate your people. It must portray your organization in a future that is pleasant to contemplate. You and everyone in the organization must desire it to come true, because being a part of it will make everyone feel proud to be a part of making it happen. It must be attractive at every level. If any person feels that the future will not be good for them, your vision certainly will not motivate them. One of the powerful aspects of an honest and attractive vision is that it will help you and your managers consider the possible and probable contributions at even the lowest level of your organization. Have you some people who will not be challenged and inspired by your vision? Should not your vision help you identify them?
Also, your vision must be attractive to your market. Indeed, it should define and identify the market you shall serve in the future. Your vision should make it plain that you understand the needs you can serve, and how you shall serve those needs (and those people.)
Finally, if your vision shows why it will be successful, thus pleasing your people, and why it will attract customers or clients or patrons, it will also attract people who will want to share it with you as investors. That is what a good organization does.
This indicates why you must think through your vision of the future before you write a business plan!
Next: what's so important about "worthwhile?"
Burt Nanus, in his great book "Visionary Leadership," says that to be the most powerful force driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success, a vision of the organization's future must be: attractive, worthwhile, achievable, and widely shared. Let's explore why these words are so important.
About "attractive:' Now you may say that it is obvious that an organization's vision of the future must be attractive. But there may be more to this than you see at first. Certainly the vision must be attractive for it to motivate your people. It must portray your organization in a future that is pleasant to contemplate. You and everyone in the organization must desire it to come true, because being a part of it will make everyone feel proud to be a part of making it happen. It must be attractive at every level. If any person feels that the future will not be good for them, your vision certainly will not motivate them. One of the powerful aspects of an honest and attractive vision is that it will help you and your managers consider the possible and probable contributions at even the lowest level of your organization. Have you some people who will not be challenged and inspired by your vision? Should not your vision help you identify them?
Also, your vision must be attractive to your market. Indeed, it should define and identify the market you shall serve in the future. Your vision should make it plain that you understand the needs you can serve, and how you shall serve those needs (and those people.)
Finally, if your vision shows why it will be successful, thus pleasing your people, and why it will attract customers or clients or patrons, it will also attract people who will want to share it with you as investors. That is what a good organization does.
This indicates why you must think through your vision of the future before you write a business plan!
Next: what's so important about "worthwhile?"
Is "excellence and long-range success" your goal?
Is the goal of your organization "excellence and long-range success?" Of course it is. No organization, for profit or non-profit, wants to die. If you are not committed to excellence and long-range success, that's what will happen. Those two terms are not the same thing. But both are essential measures of your organization's performance. The only organizations I can think of that do not require excellence and long-range success to live long lives are run by government, where politics, not competition, governs longevity, not performance.
Doesn't "driving your organization toward excellence and long-range success" seem like the very essence of management? I suspect that it does. That's why an "attractive, worthwhile and achievable vision of the future, widely shared," seems like something you should have. Let's work on it, together.
Call me, at 515-733-4013, or email to rmp@parkersolutions.com, and let's talk about it.
Bob
Doesn't "driving your organization toward excellence and long-range success" seem like the very essence of management? I suspect that it does. That's why an "attractive, worthwhile and achievable vision of the future, widely shared," seems like something you should have. Let's work on it, together.
Call me, at 515-733-4013, or email to rmp@parkersolutions.com, and let's talk about it.
Bob
The Most Important Thing: Vision
What's the most important need of most business organizations? There is no doubt in my mind; it's Vision. You have to know where you are going, and what your organization will be like when it gets there. All of your people must know and believe in your Vision. They must want it to come true. They must know what they must do to make that Vision happen.
This is especially true when times are tough. Depressing times make people depressed. A shared Vision of an attractive future inspires and motivates, making it possible to work through tough times. We all need such a vision. It doesn't come naturally to every business leader. You can make it come to you.
Almost seventeen years ago I came across a book that focused my mind on the power of Vision. This book stands on my desk, and I refer to it almost every day. It is Visionary Leadership, by Dr. Burt Nanus. It was published by Jossey-Bass in 1992. Every word in it is just as meaningful today as then. Here's the main theme:
"There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, and achievable vision of the future, widely shared."
The book is still in print; you can get it at Amazon.com. That sentence works for every type of organization, whether for profit or nonprofit, a government agency or a charity, a political party at any level, a church or a service club. There is no organization of human beings that doesn't need to know where it's going and how to get there. Of course, there are some organizations that just want to stay the way they are. They don't need a vision of the future because they don't have a future.
That sentence is worth memorizing. Every word in it is important. I'll write a series of posts explaining why I say that. Think about it carefully.
Bob
This is especially true when times are tough. Depressing times make people depressed. A shared Vision of an attractive future inspires and motivates, making it possible to work through tough times. We all need such a vision. It doesn't come naturally to every business leader. You can make it come to you.
Almost seventeen years ago I came across a book that focused my mind on the power of Vision. This book stands on my desk, and I refer to it almost every day. It is Visionary Leadership, by Dr. Burt Nanus. It was published by Jossey-Bass in 1992. Every word in it is just as meaningful today as then. Here's the main theme:
"There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, and achievable vision of the future, widely shared."
The book is still in print; you can get it at Amazon.com. That sentence works for every type of organization, whether for profit or nonprofit, a government agency or a charity, a political party at any level, a church or a service club. There is no organization of human beings that doesn't need to know where it's going and how to get there. Of course, there are some organizations that just want to stay the way they are. They don't need a vision of the future because they don't have a future.
That sentence is worth memorizing. Every word in it is important. I'll write a series of posts explaining why I say that. Think about it carefully.
Bob
Why This Blog?
I've produced this blog because I want to share ideas, questions and answers with others - especially owners and managers of small and medium-sized organizations - on how they can best communicate with customers and other stakeholders. In more than 50 years in business, I've known many, many good organizations that don't prosper because they can't get their story across to people who matter.
Business people with strong technical skills often seem to have this problem. Their technical skills and knowledge make for a great business, but they are not sales or marketing oriented. They are not "word people."
I think I can help many of those people tell their business story. I worked in manufacturing for twenty years, as a manufacturing engineer and plant manager. Then another twenty years as a small business owner, university instructer, and a small business consultant. In 1998 I started a business that built Web sites for other businesses. Web sites were a new idea for most businesses in those days, and we helped many build their first site. After five years I had to leave that business when I had a heart problem. Since then I've helped many business people tell their own story, to customers, prospects, bankers and others.
I think small business owners and managers are today's pioneers. Just like many of our ancestors, they strike out on their own, invest their lives and their fortunes in their own enterprises, and persevere through some hard times that many "employees" could not stand. My heart is with them and I want to help them.
Most of this blog is about your Vision. What do you want your business to become? Stronger, bigger, better, more profitable? Do you want more customers? What do you need to get these things? Do you know how to get where you want to go?
These are the really BIG questions about your business. They are also the TOUGH questions. That's what I'm talking about!
Bob.
Business people with strong technical skills often seem to have this problem. Their technical skills and knowledge make for a great business, but they are not sales or marketing oriented. They are not "word people."
I think I can help many of those people tell their business story. I worked in manufacturing for twenty years, as a manufacturing engineer and plant manager. Then another twenty years as a small business owner, university instructer, and a small business consultant. In 1998 I started a business that built Web sites for other businesses. Web sites were a new idea for most businesses in those days, and we helped many build their first site. After five years I had to leave that business when I had a heart problem. Since then I've helped many business people tell their own story, to customers, prospects, bankers and others.
I think small business owners and managers are today's pioneers. Just like many of our ancestors, they strike out on their own, invest their lives and their fortunes in their own enterprises, and persevere through some hard times that many "employees" could not stand. My heart is with them and I want to help them.
Most of this blog is about your Vision. What do you want your business to become? Stronger, bigger, better, more profitable? Do you want more customers? What do you need to get these things? Do you know how to get where you want to go?
These are the really BIG questions about your business. They are also the TOUGH questions. That's what I'm talking about!
Bob.
