'SOMETIMES' VISIONS

According to the American Army Field Manual, rule one is that you must have an objective – something that is clearly-defined, decisive and attainable.

Now we're sure you've all worked in businesses where those three simple rules have been broken.

Clearly-defined – now you’d think this was easy enough? I mean… the people at the top know where we’re going… don’t they? If there is no clarity, and no consistent clarity, then there is a suggestion that we just don’t know where we’re going. And if we don’t know where we’re going… do you think our customers will? Or will they go and talk to someone else?

Decisive – if you’re asked ‘do you have a Vision?’ and the answer is sometimes… or you are asked ‘does everyone in your business know your Vision?’ and you compound your answer with that dreaded word…! Now it’s OK to have a moving Vision as long as it’s slow and steady – but swinging from one Vision to the next unsettles everyone.

Attainable – ah, some of the Visions I’ve written down... one of my old bosses used to refer to them as products of ‘smoking dope’. Have something that will stretch your business – but not break it. If you go to a gym for the first time, do you walk in thinking, ‘I’m going to lift that 50 kilo weight twenty times’ or do you think about a much smaller (6-8 kilo) weight and tell yourself that you will work up to bigger weights? Well the same applies here: have attainable Visions.

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'ALLTIMES' VISIONS

Statistics from the United Kingdom’s Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) show that, in 2006, there were over 4.5 million businesses in the UK – and that doesn’t include Government and non-profit organisations.

1.2 million of these companies are businesses with employees.

With 95% of these businesses having fewer than fifty employees, then it is likely that people in your organisation are doing more than one job at a time. So the last thing you want is some onerous and expensive method for instilling and sustaining a culture of alltimes into the business.

Speaking as someone who has set up a number of businesses, I know that the initial feelings attached to this are ones of excitement as well as ones of anticipation.

This is the best time to start bedding your alltimes culture in to the business – starting off with an alltimes approach is easier than persuading an established company that they can / should improve – nobody really likes change put upon them – but it’s better than dying by sometimes.

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'STICKY' VISIONS

According to the American Army, the superior organisation stems from outperforming the competition, makes optimum use of its resources, and survives and prospers in the face of change and challenge.

Helen Mazur, President of Princeton Performance Dynamics states:

“The process of developing a vivid picture of the future is an important step in creating a future that is better than today. A clear, motivating image can inspire us to reach higher and overcome challenges. Once created, a Vision will begin to impact today as a foundation for new decisions.”

A sound Vision comes from the very top – if there is no Vision then you’re just going to bob along with no real direction or course to follow. Do you fancy seeing battalions of soldiers strolling about with no particular place to go? I hope the answer to that is no!

The solid leader provides the drive and Vision to make sure a business is cohesive in its efforts. Your managers will carry out the mission and their teams are on the ground doing the delivery – all for the (well-articulated, clear and concise) good.

The solid leader works to create the strategic plan (hey, let’s make that a Sticky Strategy) that offers focus and direction, defines and maintains competitive advantages – all of this puts it into context for the operational plan.

And the great thing about you working in an alltimes world is that you just KNOW that when reports come back from people on the ground… it feeds back in to you and not only helps you to clarify and hone the Vision but also helps you to innovate and position yourself better in the market – keeping the pesky competitors where they belong – way behind you.

A dynamic, evolving Vision drawing its feedback from its employees (giving them a sense of ownership) is a Vision that sticks to your business at all times… a Sticky Vision!

There is no particular tool or method that to be used for creating a Vision for any company that I have set up or have consulted for – there is an art to articulating the Vision and this is rarely achieved when a committee is involved – the word sometimes and its associated army of badness tends to creep in.

You own the business? Then you have the initial Vision.

You have the Vision? Then write it down.

As per rule nine in that Army Field Manual: make it simple, make it clear, and make it concise.

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