10 tips for communicating your vision, and 11 great examples
To do it's job – to clarify, inspire, motivate, and focus the team towards a shared vision of the future – a vision has to be shared.
Sharing your vision is a process. It is not an event or an announcement or a workshop. The leader’s task is to communicate with clearly, consistently and continually. The goal is to make the team care about and genuinely commit to the shared goal. So they have to know about it.
The more widely you have shared the job of creating the vision, the more people will feel invested in its success, and the more advocates you will have to communicate it passionately.
10 tips for communicating vision
- Talk about the vision with excitement and enthusiasm.
- Tell a story: a story gives context and life to a vision. It m,,akes it memorable and is easier to repeat.
- Identify influencers. Who are the people in the team whose support for the vision will bring others on board?
- Communicate one-on-one continually. Personalise the conversation. Listen to feedback. Answer questions, honestly. Let people know the important role they personally play in achieving the vision.
- Communicate externally and internally. Customers and suppliers who buy into your vision become part of the team. Bring them on board.
- Walk the talk: what do you do that demonstrates the values and the aims of the vision you have set up for all to believe in?
- Make sure people have the opportunity to translate the broad goals of the vision into tasks, goals and behaviours that build towards the vision.
- Share success stories from around the organisation that demonstrate the values and behaviours that will build towards the vision. Recognition is a powerful reward and reinforces the change you want to see happen.
- Create a feedback loop with staff and customers to let you know whether you remain on track as you move towards the vision.
- Consistently and continuously articulate the vision.
Visions with vision from around the corporate world
Qantas – To operate the world’s best premium airline, Qantas, and the world’s best low fares carrier, Jetstar.
Boost Juice – Every Customer will leave a Boost Juice Bar feeling just that little bit better.
Westpac – To be one of the world’s great service companies, helping our customers, communities and people to prosper and grow.
Disney – To make people happy.
Oxfam – A just world without poverty.
Ikea – To create a better everyday life for the many people.
Walmart – To be the best retailer in the hearts and minds of consumers and employees.
Bill Gates – A computer on every desk and in every home.
Amazon – To be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
General Electric – We bring good things to life.
PepsiCo – We aim to deliver top-tier financial performance over the long term by integrating sustainability into our business strategy, leaving a positive imprint on society and the environment. We call this Performance with Purpose.
