Now is the time to implement the habit of setting aside time for distraction-free thinking about what you most want to achieve. As a leader you need to clearly articulate direction for your business, now and for the months ahead.
It’s your vision, shared with your team, that will guide decision making throughout 2019. It’s not enough to spend hours daydreaming about the future, as your ideas will remain as fog in your head unless you commit to them.
Your clarity habit begins with writing down your vision and sharing it, element by element, with your team, external advisers and key strategic alliances. Invite comments, questions and suggestions to strengthen your vision and ensure it’s tenable. This type of consultative leadership encourages buy-in and develops a sense of shared responsibility for your team. Importantly, it provides opportunity for you to observe the strengths and qualities within your team. Recognising strengths in others, often qualities that are different from your own, is central to effective leadership.
Vague vision or no vision – the consequences
Without clarity you’ll continue to swim on in a sea of sameness where repetition rather than innovation will lead you and your business nowhere new. What’s more, without vision and leadership, your team has no choice but to act on assumptions that may or may not be correct.
Clarity of vision – the benefits
When your vision for your business is clearly articulated and shared, you’re more likely to achieve it. An engaged team who know what they’re working towards are more focused, proactive and responsive. When your team recognise that their activities are consistent with the vision you’ve shared with them, business processes will experience fewer interruptions and roadblocks will be discovered early. In real terms, this translates to greater productivity and profitability.
What’s in a vision? – three focus areas
Here are three areas where your vision needs to be crystal clear:
1. Your role
Which business tasks will you undertake and which will you delegate, and to whom?
Who will you mentor and who will be your mentor?
How will you engage with your team? And with suppliers, customers and strategic alliances?
2. Financial targets
Of course it’s important to continually improve your products and services, but the way you handle the financial side of your business is just as important as the quality of your product or service. You need clarity in terms of profitability, required margins, cash flow, capital investments, revenue, costs and more.
3. Growth opportunities
Understanding your growth opportunities is imperative. When you and your team share your vision for the future of your business, you are all well-positioned to ‘see’ creative opportunities and possibilities for products and services, potential client groups and improved efficiency in existing systems. When you’re all clear on the purpose and outcomes of existing systems, you’ll find growth opportunities attainable.
Step 1
Take the time to articulate your vision as a business leader in 2019 – and know that you’re establishing a valuable leadership habit that will benefit you significantly. More than just your business life, the scope of your vision should include how you envision the future for your family, health and exercise, hobbies, holidays and learning. Then share it with your team, including your external advisers. I for one would be pleased to help you articulate your vision and work towards achieving it.
