Your cause has a vision.
Achieving your enterprise’s vision will solve problems and open resources to multitudes.
Getting from your current location to the finish line requires wayfinding and courage.
Your strategic plan articulates how to achieve your vision.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” The Great Gatsby
How does our understanding of the green light in The Great Gatsby change over time? How does our work alter with the influence of experience and time? What dreams do we defend, and which do we sacrifice as we watch our own green light pulse from distant shores?
What is on your horizon line? What features stand out? How does it differ from sunrise, midday, and sunset? Is it shared with those around you, or are they seeing something else?
What happens when your proprietorial work makes it into the public domain? What is the impact of others iterating on your creation? How does it align with your values and focus? If you believe in making the world a better place, does it matter who gets the credit? If you believe in delivering for your shareholders (or donors), is it essential that you generate a metric that shows a return on investment? What if your idea is leaked to the sector, and it is the spark that generates an unexplored way of serving those that you are committed to helping? Do you need credit, or does moving closer to your vision suffice?
What did you glance at that was exceptional, but you were unable to witness (or capture) the entirety of the event? A shooting star? A retreating grizzly bear? The first moments of an unforgettable keynote? An iconic board member who is finishing their term just as you start your service? A glimpse of the impact bestowed by the first year of a transformational grant?
Glances are helpful since they furnish a picture of what is possible. They may not be sustainable or ordinary, but they set the conditions for developing a vision for the future. How might we use glances to inform our current and future efforts? How might a glance be the beacon to which we orient?
What vision do you project? Is the image a mirror of your reality or a dystopian facsimile? Building trust and authenticity often centers around the alignment of words and deeds.
Vision statements resonate when they present a picture of a better tomorrow, a problem solved, a better way, more opportunity, greater access, and/or removing barriers. It is harder to get inspired when vision statements are bland or redundant (e.g., make the world a better place). They can be simple. Achieving the vision might cause your enterprise to consider a new line of work. If oncologists share a vision to cure cancer, reaching this milestone means that a new line of inquiry or one big celebration party and disbanding is needed.
How might your vision identify the headwaters of your journey? How might it inspire with sufficient clarity about the work that matters?
Our vision of the future does not have to be perfect before we start talking about it. How will anyone know about where we are headed or who we are seeking if we keep it to ourselves? We are inspired by those who have a clarity about what keeps them oriented.
There is value in starting from where you are instead of trying to return for a clean piece of paper. Take Ruth Oosterman who uses her 2-year old’s sketches as the foundation for her finished work. Their collaboration is intriguing and arguably richer due to the individual visions finding a point of confluence. How can you create a more powerful vision starting from where you are today?
Vision statements have multiplied in front of me this week. Authentic vision statements are challenging to craft. We want to tell people exactly where we are going and dispense with aspirations since details feel actionable. A vision should tell us which remarkable journey is worthy of loading on supplies and raising the sails. A vision is does not need a confirmed itinerary and we can point with a finger to a general direction on the map for which we intend to set course. A vision gives us an emotional assessment if boarding your ship to join the adventure is significantly compelling. We can sort out the details later.
What-if-concepts 