If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.
Steve Jobs
42 Days Of Yes!
Day 15: Expand A Vision
Does your company have a vision statement? Could you recite it?
If not, you’re in the majority – more than 70% of employed adults cannot state their company’s vision when asked. Which is such a shame because, when well-crafted, a compelling vision ignites the passion, purpose, and productivity of a workforce in an intensely powerful way. This is true outside the workforce, too: Consider the vision Martin Luther King Jr. created with his “I have a dream” speech as an example.
Today I had the privilege of saying YES to one of my favorite activities: coaching a team to create their Vision, Mission, and Values statements. While I’ve facilitated this process for years, today’s was unique: the executive leadership team wanted all employees involved in the process. They wanted each voice to be heard and everyone to know their ideas matter. For a group this size, the request was quite extraordinary – and incredibly fun.
One of my favorite questions to ask in the visioning process is this:
What will the world look like once you’ve finished changing it?
When we applied the ripple effect to their vision, this exceptional group realized they could help eliminate poverty and unemployment, increase happiness and financial stability, and contribute to a positive, generous world. Their compelling vision expanded their sense of what is possible and transformed the way they think about their work.
If you don’t have a vision statement – either for yourself or for your organization – consider taking an afternoon to craft one. Place yourself 5 or 10 years in the future and imagine that everything has gone according to your greatest hopes and dreams. What will that look like? What will be different? How will you, your business, and the world have changed? Create as vivid a picture as possible and then, like a rowboat gently flowing down the river, let that vision pull you.
To what did you say YES today? Share your thoughts below, on Facebook, or via Twitter. Gain crystal clarity around your vision at Spark – click here!
Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders who need to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day. Christi helps you flourish towards your purposeful vision with clarity, confidence, and meaningful action.
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Learn more about Dr. Christi and MAP Inc. at www.meaning-and-purpose.com, on Facebook, or via Twitter.