Holding Vision During Change
Vision is an important aspect of business. It fuels many of the dreams that serve as the beginning of companies, it drives people to pursue excellence in their careers, and it guides us during times of crisis, when we have to adapt our models and our pathways for achieving the mission, which is ideally guided by the vision.
That last part is especially applicable now, as so many businesses are pivoting to adapt to the changes that social distancing has required.
Generally speaking, a company’s culture is guided by leadership. The vision for the business leads to development of a culture that supports it, and goals are set and reached through the synergy this creates.
What happens if the goals and methods are disrupted? Does the vision change?
The answer to that is...maybe.
The vision is the guiding principle. If the guiding principle is changed by circumstance, it may be necessary to look at the vision again.
If your vision is very specific, it may need tweaking. If it’s general--”Provide exceptional customer service”, for example--you’ll just adapt your means of production, if that’s what’s interrupted.
The most important thing for a leader to do in times when the company’s mission is called into question is repeat the vision. Again and again, and again. As many times as it takes.
This will serve a dual purpose. It will…
Clarify Intent. Is the intent to build loyalty through a client base? Is it to provide exceptional customer service? Be a member-owned business? If it is constantly made clear to team members what the vision is, the potential for unity goes up. And when your team is unified in purpose...you can accomplish quite a bit.
Provide Comfort. Like it or not, we’re human beings. All the business gurus who talk about being “warriors” and the refining fire of challenge aren’t necessarily incorrect...but there’s also nothing wrong with admitting that even tough business people occasionally need reassurance, especially when so much in the world has been shaken. You don’t have to make promises you can’t keep, but you can reaffirm to team members that the vision is strong, and that in itself is an advantage that puts you ahead in the game.
It can be a challenge to maintain a vibrant, ambitious vision for a company during times of extreme change, but it’s also probably one of the most significant things you can do. It has the ability to fuel optimism and positive strategizing among team members, and those will go a long way in securing the other behaviors that will drive cooperation and achievement, even if your formatting changes.
