Using the vision to guide your business

Although the vision you’ve created for your business may be at the front and centre of your mind, it’s important that your team also share this commitment, completing daily tasks with one eye on the bigger picture.

In previous blogs, we discussed the importance of communicating your vision and how employees respond better when they have an emotional attachment to their goals. However, once this vision has been communicated, it’s crucial that your colleagues remain focussed and don’t lose sight of the vision over time.

Occasional lapses in concentration are understandable, as it’s difficult to always maintain top form, but it’s crucial that your team responds positively to challenges and feels motivated to achieve the vision even if the momentum slows.

The ongoing pandemic is a great example of an unexpected and potentially problematic obstacle that could distract your team. Even with unfamiliar working conditions and ongoing uncertainty, your team needs to be motivated by the long-term goal and confident that the path ahead will take them to where they need to be.

Making the right decisions

With entire businesses working remotely for the foreseeable future, it’s crucial that your team has a clear understanding of the vision and can use it as self-motivation, especially given the increased opportunity for distractions whilst working from home.

Think of the vision as an aeroplane’s illuminated landing strip on a dark and stormy night. Through the distractions of the weather and layers of clouds, the lights on the runway show you where you need to go and how far away your destination is, allowing you to safely manoeuvre onto the tarmac below.

Without these runway lights – or the vision in our case – it is impossible to make confident decisions in difficult conditions. From a business perspective, this is a very precarious position to be in, as there’s the potential to make mistakes that could impact your long-term success. Your vision is your plan that will help you overcome obstacles along the way.

It can be demotivating when the absence of face-to-face collaboration impacts your productivity and high standards slowly start to slip. During these moments, the vision you’ve established will ensure your team keeps pulling in the same direction, allowing you to weather the storm and come out the other side in a strong position.

Lead by example

Whilst your team must remain focussed on the vision, it’s important that you lead by example and manage your resources effectively. Think of your business like a football team, even with a roster of star players, it can be difficult to win trophies without a manager creating effective tactics that play to the strengths of the team.

When the going gets tough, the rest of the team will look to you for guidance, so it’s crucial that you can successfully steer the ship back on course if needed, demonstrating strong leadership that motivates and inspires those around you.

Do you know what each person brings to the table? What is the best way to get a reaction out of certain individuals? These are questions that you must know the answers to if your business is to successfully achieve its vision.

If you put your team members into positions where they can thrive and realise their full potential, then they will develop a strong sense of commitment to the vision, helping your business grow and succeed at a much faster rate.