Inspiring visions are grounded in the reality of daily business practice.

On Eagles Flying through Circus Tents

      If visions are to engage people emotionally, they should not be imposed from the top along the lines of “Vision X will come into force on January 1, 20XX!” Psychologically and practically, that simply won’t work. Instead, many organizations go back to the basic educational principle of actively involving those who are going to be most affected. Fundamentally, for an organization looking to build a solid basis for a vision, it is good practice to involve as many employees as possible in the process. In many companies, this leads to a veritable flood of meetings and workshops at all levels and, unfortunately, the outcome is often the dreaded lowest common denominator: It does no real harm to anyone but, as a consequence, doesn’t get anyone particularly excited either. So far, so ineffectual. But we’re afraid it gets worse…

      The Wonderful World of Workshops

      A large company adopted the following vision: being ranked in the top ten in its sector within fifteen years. In addition to standard workshops on long-term goals and strategy, “vision workshops” were organized at different levels (department, region, country) to allow each unit to redefine itself in the context of this Vision 2025. One of the originators of the vision, a consultant in the team running the workshops, was particularly keen on using an “ice breaker” exercise involving metaphors, and there was a special moment at the beginning of each workshop when every participant was asked to write down how how they would describe themselves. No limits on people’s imagination were set, creativity was encouraged, and comparisons were explicitly invited with the world at large, be they animal, vegetable, or mineral. Each participant had to write down on a card how they perceived themselves in their particular area of the business, and the following results were the most popular: ringmaster, court jester, mermaid, fortune teller, queen bee (surrounded by useless drones), condor, large eagle, little eagle, supertanker, speedboat, bull in a china shop, Pied Piper of Hamelin, four-star general, private (who only takes orders), interior minister, foreign minister, magician, etc.

      Alarm bells should have started ringing once the drones and bulls in china shops cropped up. But, as you may have experienced yourself, when this type of exercise gathers momentum, there is often a very fine dividing line between the inspired and the absurd, and no one really wants to be the killjoy.

      The next step was to cluster the terms on the cards, using colored stickers to form a ranking until a common consensus was reached which everyone could take on board. Some wonderful images emerged: “Fly, little eagle, fly!” “The noble eagle soars majestically through the circus tent,” “A supertanker travelling as fast as a speedboat,” or our favorite, “The court jester rides bareback on the mighty condor.”

      Hundreds of “Vision Workshops” started like this and, to the delight of the consultants, were rolled out across the whole of the organization, both nationally and worldwide. While we can look back on all this now with a wry smile, at the time it was taken very seriously by those involved. Well, most of them.

      It is just as risky to derive visions from a condensed bundle of brainstorming contributions as it is to outsource everything to an outside consulting firm. For a vision to work well, it has to reflect corporate culture and form the basis of a long-term objective, which will motivate, serve as a guide in day-to-day business, and encourage the “wow” factor. If an organization wants to be “the most customer-friendly business in the world,” every decision taken at all levels of the business must be measured against this vision. This applies equally to how staff react to customer complaints through to management making strategic decisions. A good vision enhances a project to an extent where people say, “Hey, I want to be part of that!” and motivates by giving purpose to the work of each and every individual involved. It should be clear and concise, so that all employees can understand it, which conveniently rules out long-winded marketing blurb. Purely numerical statements involving market share or financial targets are also taboo and can, indeed, be quite dangerous—but more about that in a few moments, under “Why Striving for Increased Market Share Is Not a Vision.”

      First of all, how many of the following would capture your heart and convince you to give everything?

      •“We aspire to be the leading client-centric global universal bank. We serve shareholders best by putting our clients first and by building a global network of balanced business underpinned by strong capital and liquidity.” (Deutsche Bank)

      •“We are ‘The Chemical Company’ successfully operating in all major markets.” (BASF)

      •“Our vision: world-leading brands and technology.” (Henkel)

      •“GM’s vision is to be the world leader in transportation products and related services. We will earn our customers’ enthusiasm through continuous improvement driven by the integrity, teamwork, and innovation of GM people.” (General Motors)

      •“To operate the best omni-channel specialty retail business in America, helping both our customers and booksellers reach their aspirations, while being a credit to the communities we serve.” (Barnes & Noble)

      The longer the slogan, the more it arouses skepticism. To become “the most customer-friendly business in the world” may well inspire. But “…the leading client-centric global universal bank, serving the best interests of its shareholders”? Likewise, references to performance objectives or market share targets fail to inspire. Which business doesn’t want to “succeed in all its main markets” or deliver “top performance”? This type of wording ignores completely that powerful visions feed on strong emotions. Admittedly, this is easier for non-profit organizations to achieve than businesses. It is, however, not impossible.

      •“UNICEF’s vision: A world where the rights of every child are realized.”

      •“Amnesty International’s vision: A world in which every person enjoys all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.”

      •“Syngenta: Using Innovation to Feed the World.”

      •“Google’s