Now is a great time of year to anchor your vision for next year. Don’t worry about crafting the perfect vision statement. I’ve seen too many organizations wasting time whittling words that read well in print, but don’t resonate with people in the company.
Here are a couple of suggestions for making your organization’s vision stick.
- Verbalize it. Talk to people about the vision. Include what you like about it, what excites you about it, what it means to you, etc. The more you talk about it, the more the vision has a chance to live in your organization as opposed to being a one-time activity. Keep the corporate vision alive through ongoing dialogue throughout the year.
- Record it. There are a number of ways companies can capture and record their vision. Some use techniques such as mind mapping or idea mapping. The process can produce nice visuals to post as reminders or inspiration throughout the year. I enjoy helping companies create narrative vision statements. Some use graphic artists to illustrate their vision. I’ve even seen one organization dramatize its vision. Doing something out of the norm will make the vision more memorable.
Of course you can use the same techniques for your personal vision as well.