One of the main tasks of a leader is to plot out where the company is currently and where you want to be in the future. Developing an organisational vision is to paint a picture of how the future could be for the organisation and what you need to do now in order to get there.

There are a few important aspects of a vision that a good forward thinking leader needs to take into account when formulating the vision. These include:

Don’t develop an organisational vision in isolation

A leader should avoid developing an organisational vision of the future in isolation. Rather, the leader should draw from the experience and knowledge of the whole leadership team in developing the way forward. Also, any organisation needs to take into consideration the specific industry that it is operating in and what trends, developments, challenges and economic factors are affecting this industry that could have an impact on the overall vision of your organisation. Take the time to analyse all these aspects, and what your organisation needs to do to best position itself within your specific industry.

A vision motivates and inspires

Often the everyday slog of work life can get people down, but if they are inspired and motivated by a well defined and articulated vision of where the organisation is going, this will pull them out of the everyday rut and keep them motivated for the long haul – even through tough times. Here we see the importance of a well articulated vision that is adequately communicated to all staff members so that they know what they are part of and where the organisation is going.

A vision should be bigger and more worthwhile than just making money

Besides being well articulated and communicated to staff members, a company vision also needs to be worth something. People want to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and that they are working towards something that is worthwhile and important. They want their work lives to count for something more than just making money for the company. A company’s vision should involve the betterment of society and the community that it serves, making its existence about more than just the financial reward of shareholders.

Setting the organisations purpose and values

Besides the main vision of where the company is going, a good leader will also take the time to set out the purpose and values of the organisation. While the vision of the company’s future might change over time, the purpose and values of the organisation should remain the same. It is the one constant that the organisation should hold onto in today’s ever changing world. The purpose refers to why the organisation exists and what difference it aims to make. The values of the organisation refer to the set standards and norms within which the organisation will operate. These should be shared values that each person lives by and that come naturally to them in order for there not to be a conflict of interest between the values in a person’s private and work life.

When you are too busy to be forward-looking

Many leaders understand the importance of being forward looking and taking the time to think about the future of the company, but just don’t seem to find the time to do so. They are torn between dealing with organisational and staff challenges, keeping clients happy and dealing with the mounding paperwork on their desks. In this case almost all of a leader’s strategy and planning is lumped into the first week of the year before things get too hectic and has no place in the everyday activities of the leader.

If this is the case for you, it is an indication that you have not adequately delegated enough of the day to day operational tasks to other competent staff members to deal with in order to free up sufficient amounts of your time for the vital elements of reflection, input and strategic planning about the future of the organisation. These aspects should form a normal part of your work week where you reflect on where the organisation is, gain input from colleagues, outside sources, staff members and business leaders on industry trends, organisational challenges etc. And spend time thinking about whether there is something that your organisation needs to be doing now to adequately prepare for the future and set it on path to achieving its long term vision and short to medium term goals.

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