How to bring your company vision to life

19-Nov-2009

One of the critical roles of a leader is to communicate a clear and compelling vision of the future.  

Your vision comprises the following 3 key elements.

• Core Values - WHO your people are (and will be in the future) in terms of their “must have” behaviors
• Core Purpose - WHY your company exists
• BHAG© (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) - WHERE you intend to be in the future  

The Core Values of most companies we see are anything but.  Often they are meaningless platitudes on a wall which are not meaningful to the people in your company - and bear little resemblance to “how we really do things around here.”  If someone were to randomly ask, “What are your company's Core Values?” – What would your people say?

Many companies lack a Core Purpose, beyond getting bigger and making more money.  Does that really make your people want to get out of bed in the morning?  Is it any wonder that research shows more than 80% of employees are disengaged?

Tom Peters spent a few days with our RESULTS.com team and clients earlier this year and shared the following pearl of wisdom with us:  “Your BHAG will only be realized if it appeals to all your staff – not just the management team.”  

Does everyone on your team know what your BHAG is?  Are they inspired by it?  Are their weekly action priorities aligned to its achievement?

Even if the leaders have done a good job of clarifying these 3 fundamental success factors (and in our experience this is rare) - the next challenge is to ensure that they are well communicated and executed.  The key is to make them simple and easy for everyone in your company to understand and remember. 

Here are some tips from the book Awesomely Simple by John Spence to help you bring your company vision to life:

• Survey team members about their awareness and attitudes toward your Core Values, Core Purpose and BHAG – ask if these 3 key elements are meaningful to them - and whether they are engaged with them
• Involve your entire team in refining these 3 key elements so you get their “buy in”
• Once finalized - display them on your website, posters, plaques, banners, mouse pads, screen savers etc
• Ensure they are the foundation of all strategic plans
• Discuss them during your weekly meetings wherever possible
• Formally recognize team members who exemplify the Core Values
• Refuse to tolerate any violation of the Core Values

As Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric said, “Make an honest mistake, screw up a project, lose a million dollars on a risky business bet…no problem, we can fix that.  But violate the Core Values, and you’re gone immediately”


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Stephen Lynch

Chief Operating Officer - Global Operations

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