Communicating Your Vision

In my last post I talked about creating a vision for a company. One of the key points of that post was highlighting the difference between being an organization with a vision statement … and becoming a truly visionary organization.

It’s a common practice for a mid-market company to create a vision statement that never leaves the walls of the company; it’s simply not communicated externally to the market.

Is that the case with your company?

If so, I suspect that there are a few reasons for this. It could be that your marketing team is focused on customer acquisition campaigns, or doesn’t include the vision in their branding campaigns. Or it could be because your marketing people aren’t sure of how to best communicate this to the market.

Or most commonly, what I suspect is that your company stakeholders simply aren’t committed enough to communicate this publicly to your markets.

If that’s the case, then it begs this question:

How committed are you to your vision?

I don’t want to sound overly harsh, but truly visionary companies communicate their vision with conviction, both externally and internally.

Here are suggestions on how to do that.

Communicate Your Vision Constantly to Your Stakeholders

Some of your stakeholders may have been involved in the vision shaping process I described in my last post, but ensure that all of them are aware of your vision, and remind them often. This vision will guide many strategic decisions that you will make over the next 5 years.

Share Your Vision With Your Employees

To make your vision a reality, you need buy-in from your team. Share your dream with them and inspire them. Show how they fit into the picture, and ask people for their support.

Add Your Vision to Your Brand Standards Guide

Weave your vision into the fabric of your brand identity, so all current and future marketing people understand it and are able to leverage it in their marketing communications.

Involve Your Marketing and Sales Team

In addition to sharing with your entire company, chair a meeting (and continue quarterly) with your marketing and sales team to get their ideas on how to ensure that your vision is communicated clearly and frequently to the market.

Involve Your HR / Hiring Team

Ensure that your vision is apparent to all potential hires. Select the proper assessments to screen for people who will be able to help you carry out your vision instead of sabotaging it.

Keep Your Vision Visible

Continue marketing your vision internally and externally. Have it posted on the wall in a high-traffic area of the company. Talk about it. Write about it. Set metrics that are aligned to it. Add them to performance reviews.

Your vision matters. It is something that makes your company truly unique, inspiring both customers and employees alike. If your vision is strong enough, communicated properly and your actions reflect a true commitment to your vision, it will be a very powerful and compelling force to drive your company forward.

Embrace it, share it, and live it. That can make you a truly visionary organization.