Key Components in a Business – Part 1

Creating a Vision that Guides Everyone

Over the next six weeks, I am going to be sharing the key components that every business needs to win. The first section topic I will discuss is vision. Why? Those without vision perish, and that axiom is true in business as it is with life.

Great businesses have compelling visions for their team and know how to communicate that vision to them in an easy-to-understand manner. Without the direction that the vision gives your team, you are flying blind and leaving employees lost. If your team is not all seeing both the short term and long term vision for the business, you are probably leaving someone behind.

Most business owners know where they want to go; it’s clear in their minds. Where they lack is detailing the process on how they are going to get there and bringing a team on that can help execute on making the vision a reality. Since the vision is not clear to the team, they are not able to execute on it. The whole team needs to be on the same page to find success.

To help you get your team on the same page, I encourage you to meet with each of your employees and ask them the vision. See what they say. You might be surprised at how much or how little they know.

When I first started this exercise, it was a tough process to go through. Literally, no one was on the same page. Before this point, I probably told people several times what my vision was, but I failed to simplify the message. I failed to get it on paper, and most importantly, I failed to allow my team to help create the vision.

I learned a tough lesson because I did not allow my team, the people who ultimately will make the vision become a reality, to understand where I wanted the business to go. Without that knowledge, they couldn’t execute to make it happen.

When I realized this problem, I got my leadership team into the same room and went through a powerful exercise to get everyone realigned, thinking and working together. I first started having some one-off conversations and asking the people questions: “What do you see as this company’s vision today?” and “What do you want to see as the company’s vision in the future?”.

Then, I found time for the team to meet outside of business hours, and we worked through an EOS exercise to help the team get the vision on paper – a vision that everyone bought in on and owned a piece of to ensure they would make it a reality.

If you feel like your team is up against a wall, taking this approach may help you get over it. Ask your people to state the company’s vision? If you are getting different answers, it might be good to start meeting with your team to create a new vision for your business.

A great article in the Harvard Business Review titled “Building Your Company’s Vision” is a great piece of additional reading.