2020.05.08 / Viewpoint

The Vision You Picture is Not as You Imagine

A company’s vision is a matter that many enterprises constantly discuss about. We find that as times progress, the way enterprises produce vision also changes. Here, we divide vision from 1.0 to 3.0, using logic and visualization tools of Western consultants to briefly describe the methods and processes of building a vision.

Finding a vision is not as simple as knocking on the boss’s head, or asking the consultant to fill in the blanks. Vision is the way for a company to reach success, and it is the distance the entire team should reach for together. We believe that only the vision brought to life by a whole team can bring real emotion to people.

Vision 1.0- This is just a concern for the boss

In addition to the fact that most people feel blurry about what a company's "vision" is, they often think that it's just a slogan. How it goes in many companies is that not only does the boss not understand the company's vision, but many executives also think that the company’s vision is irrelevant with themselves. As long as the boss gives the okay and hangs it on the company wall, it will be settled. But when it comes to how it is achieved, most people simply shrug their shoulders and have no more sense of participation or enthusiasm.

Vision 2.0 – Sharing the companies’ vision with the entire team

Vision is a dream. It paints the picture of a wonderful future. And the more vivid that picture is, the more it can stimulate the vision. An inspiring leader should be able to use their own dream to ignite the passion amongst the entire team, clearly depict the imagined future for the brand, and then bring that dream to life. Bringing everyone towards one, united goal.

Vision 3.0 – Vision is the engine of a corporation

After clarifying the vision, defining "what to do" and "what not to do", the next step is to figure out why the enterprise exists, what it is doing, what role it plays for the world. This is so that everyone in the team can understand the cause they are fighting for.

How to manage this group of dream weavers depends on the company's rules and regulations, which stipulate what can be done and what can’t be done. What's even more important are the values, the moral principles of the company.

In addition to the explicit values clearly written out by the company, there are still some that have not been written out, but have been established within the company, which is sometimes even more essential than what has been written down. When the vision incorporates both its purpose and value, only then can it form the core of a corporate culture system.

How to use visual tools to organize a clear and meaningful vision:

1.  Led by expertise from other departments

In addition to the input of the boss, it is suggested that the team should be more daring to set goals and not be too constrained by whether there are enough resources and ability to achieve them. There should be a lot of brainstorming guided by an expertise who can assist the team members to complete the task and control the rhythm of discussion. It is usually recommended that external consultants from a third party assist in this work, which can be more objective and bring different perspectives to the team.

2.  Visualize the abstract vision

To kick off a team discussion, start with a simple visual image.

Imagine the company's journey towards its vision like a hiker trying to conquer a mountain.

Try drawing a diagonal line, and then draw a flag at the top (symbolizing your future goal), draw a climber at the foot of the mountain. The company being the climber, in order to conquer this mountain, we need to plan the route, check for existing equipment, and then see what we need to prepare. We need to consider the challenges and obstacles we may encounter along the way. The use of visuals can not only turn fuzzy concepts into concrete images, but also make the discussion more intuitive and stimulate the creativity of the team.

Conclusion:

Vision is definitely not a slogan, but can be broken down into the necessary steps that must be taken to achieve said vision. It functions as guidance for a team to reach towards a goal. It doesn’t matter how good and grand a vision is, if it is not translated into concrete actions that can be implemented, it is just a waste of time.

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