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But a Vivid Vision is a three-dimensional world that you can step into and explore. It’s a world you can share with your team to create true alignment and amazing results.
merely
One hallmark of a good company is the ability to promote from within, which leads to a culture of trust, dedication, and willingness.
The written word, on the other hand, is much more precise and less easily misconstrued
Forecasting is a method of looking at your current numbers and estimating goals based on those figures. Estimating isn’t a part of the Vivid Vision.
the Vivid Vision is about precision, but on the other, it’s based on the future, not on where you currently stand. The focus is on where you intend to be three years down the road, regardless of where you might be now.
When Elon Musk considered building an electric car, he could have chosen the status quo. But instead, he projected a vision into the future of what he wanted, rather than taking the current model and forecasting it forward.
These goals require you to stretch your imagination to such an extent that people outside of the company probably think you’re crazy. But the people inside your company believe those goals are quite possible—if they share in your Vivid Vision.
Bear in mind that, at this point, they didn’t even make computers! That is a pretty big, hairy, and audacious goal, right?
Sometimes, the BHAG aspect of a Vivid Vision requires you to imagine tools and technology that may not even exist today, except in the imaginations of some very creative thinkers.
tackle
The reality is that if you venture too far into the future, the vision becomes very foggy.
Notice that I said to grab a pad of paper and pen to write your Vivid Vision. I didn’t say to type it on the computer.
futility.
Business thinking is pragmatic thinking, and pragmatic thinking is not what we are aiming for when we lean out into the future.
Athletes use visualization not only in the moments prior to their events, whether that be on a golf course or on a football field, but at all hours of the day and in a variety of locations.
use this technique when I go on stage. If I’m attending a speaking event, I will walk out onto the stage or into the auditorium the day before, and I will visualize the crowds of people gathered in front of me.
calm, relaxed, and envisioning a world you’d love to help create and be part of some day.
Entrepreneurs spend too much time worrying about how something is going to happen.
He only cared that it be a fast, ultra-stylish vehicle that ran on clean energy and fit the size of his family.
As long as those criteria were met, he didn’t care how the car was built.
Just like Elon, you want to figure out what the goal is first and then work backward—with a talented team of brilliant pros—to figure out how you’re going to make that happen.
In other words, describe what your marketing looks like, and sales, and so on, until you’ve captured every area.
When you step out of your time machine three years from now and walk around the office, what’s happening?
What can you say that is typical of the business three years from now?
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Look three years out and describe each of the branches of your business as you ideally see them.
Describe your marketing department, IT, finance, sales, and operations.
Describe your culture, what your employees are saying about you, and what the media is writing about you.
It’s like the dream home: Your job is to dream about what the home can look like; the architect and the engineer will figure out how to make that happen.
“How big can we grow?” instead of, “How big do we want to get?”
The Vivid Vision, as I stated earlier, is a personal experience. It requires a visionary to conceive it and deliver it.
It’s like getting seven people to decide where to go for dinner, with the goal of making everyone happy.
The Vivid Vision is, in a way, a fragile instrument. Like a piece of delicate art, it requires delicate handling. You must carefully articulate it in such a way that it informs and inspires. By nature, most entrepreneurs aren’t writers.
Therefore, it’s important to have that initial visionary statement honed by someone with deft writing skills. Generally, it’s best to hire a professional.
To be clear, though, the rough draft has to be there. The vision must be fleshed out and put down on pape...
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Once the document is worded precisely to your satisfaction, then spice it up with some stylish graphic design.
You want to use graphic design elements from your website or your marketing materials (if you can), or anything that will inspire the reader without distracting them.
Three years from now, when your vision becomes reality, you’ll look back on this piece of work fondly.
was trying to dream about what I wanted to build and what impact I would have on my customers. Again, I wrote it all down.
I wrote them up as bullet points. For example, under customer service I had three or four bullet points, while under the public speaking section I had five or six.
Then I took all the bullet points and wrote a paragraph for each section. This took me about an hour to draft.
I thought the cartoons would be humorous and would add color to it, helping people to connect with it more. Now on my third Vivid Vision in nine years, I recognize that design elements and photos are better than cartoons.
Listening to my inner voice filters my decisions for me. I call on and trust my gut.
My company BackPocket COO grows because entrepreneurs keep telling each other about me and how I’ve helped them.
I have an “I’d Rather Do…” list, which helps me say no to contracts I don’t want because I have tons of things I’d rather do in life than work with a company that doesn’t fit.
don’t get caught in “The GAP,” because I no longer focus on the horizon to feel like I’ve made it. I am already there.
the present just being able to spend time taking the kids to school, having time midday to spend with my wife, and having frequent two- to three-hour lunches with friends midweek.
My look has a Brooks Brothers confidence, J.Crew casual feel to it. People who know me constantly say, “Wow, this is such a great fit for you.”
My clients are very clear about my promises and feel like I deliver on them. My client companies feel lucky to have me helping them.
