– by Jack C. Randall, CIC, PCLA, PFMM
The room was packed with a team of agents ready for my presentation on the new policy forms. We were all set to begin, but there was still one vacant chair up front. “Why can’t that guy be on time?” I muttered. After a delayed start, I simply had to begin rather than wait any longer for “Joe” to appear.
Joe arrived…eventually. He stumbled his way to that last seat up front. Even as I was speaking, I could tell that Joe was uncomfortable. From behind his glasses, he closed one eye for a while, and then the other. He tilted his head. He squinted up at the ceiling, then down at the floor. I noticed Joe repeating this unusual ritual several times. Agents on the team also began to sense something was wrong and began to watch Joe, rather than listen to my informational training. He suddenly started to pat his chest, unbutton his shirt, and reach down inside. Was he having heart problems, or a reaction to medication? “This might be serious,” I thought. Fearing for his safety, I couldn’t continue.
“Joe, are you OK?” I blurted from the platform. Almost simultaneously, Joe yelled, “Found it!!” and pulled the missing eyeglass lens from deep within his shirt. He triumphantly displayed the optical jewel and philosophically recounted its short journey. The room instantly erupted with laughter. What a comedian! …And what a DISTRACTION!
While many years have passed since that incident, I still smile when I recall Joe’s “vision dilemma.” Yet now, as I work with company leaders and their boards, I frequently hear them struggling with their own vision dilemmas. Not with physical eyesight, but rather, the ability to have a crystal clear VISION for themselves and their organization… the ability to “see” and communicate that Vision of the future.
Joe’s ability to see clearly was essential. Without correction, his impaired condition prevented him from seeing where he was going. He wasn’t able to identify opportunities from obstacles right before him, nor could he take in vital information. And it wasn’t just Joe…his actions were affecting the entire team.
Today’s effective leaders must not only see the present clearly, but more importantly “see” the future with absolute clarity. Furthermore, effective leaders must concisely communicate a picture of what a successful future “looks like” to the team. As an effective leader, your ability to conceptualize and convey this message is essential. A written Vision, reading like a story, complete with all the details, shares and documents that picture. The future success of your organization depends on your entire team “seeing” the same thing and working toward that same Vision. If a Vision is vague, unclear, or non-existent, people tend to independently form and pursue their own pictures of success. That’s why confusion, frustration, and unmet expectations commonly occur.
A well-articulated, written Vision is a crucial element towards building a successful organization and compliments the company Mission Statement, Business Plan, and Succession Plan. I advocate a 5-year timeframe for your Vision since it isn’t practical to do one every year. After 5 years, the vision needs to be recast.
A written Vision:
-Communicates
-Documents
-Clarifies
-Helps to organize
-Provides direction
-Reduces stress
-Reduces conflict
-Helps to identify opportunities
-Unifies
-Provides motivation
Proverbs 29 reads: “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”
I am convinced the author is reminding us that pursuing something without unity will only lead to conflict and ultimate failure; whereas a shared Vision is vital to harmony and success.
As a leader for your company: How’s YOUR Vision?
Copyright 2011 Randall Resources International, all rights reserved.