Having A Clear Vision

The key to the overall success of a company

I have always believed that the key to getting what you want is having a clearly defined vision for what you’re looking to achieve or acquire, and not only today and tomorrow, but way down the road, too. If you know what you’re hoping to achieve in the future, every other decision you make becomes so much easier. Why? Because you know what you don’t want, and you know what you do want.
 

Having something you desire and hope to achieve makes every other decision thereafter easy. You’re able to walk away from people, deals, and contracts that don’t suit you or your organization, because you know what your ultimate vision is.
 
Most of us don’t have the patience or determination to go after our vision. We want things right now. We want things today. So we settle. We do what’s most convenient. We take what’s right in front of us. We hire people because immediate needs need to be met, and we end up compromising. We sign the bad deal or we accept the terms to a bad agreement, because we’re hurried, under pressure from leadership. And before we know it, what we envisioned and hoped for our future disappears right in front of us.
 
I am a firm believer in playing the long game. Like the best Japanese companies—for example, Toyota and Samsung, which plan 100 years out—I believe in making definitive plans for the future, lots of plans, and for a long time out. The best way to do that is to have a very clear vision of where you see yourself or your organization.
 
One of the best exercises you can do is to look out as far into the future as possible and ask yourself Where do I see my organization in 5, 10, 15, 30, even 60 years? Yes, I said 60 years. If you’re not looking at what is good for your company long after you’re gone, you’re not looking far out enough. Are the people you’re hiring and developing people who aspire to your organization’s overall strategic vision? In other words, who you hire and develop within your company have to be aligned with your overall strategic vision.

Again, creating a vision for your future and then acting on it is easier said than done. But the reality is, there is a massive gap between what people envision for the future and the steps they’re willing to take to make their vision a reality. So here are the steps you can take today to craft a vision:

Spend some time visualizing exactly what it is you want—what does your future organization look like? You can’t go after something you don’t know that you want. If you’re envisioning a dream culture for your organization, ask yourself:

Be as specific and detailed as you can. The more details you give and the more non-negotiables you write into that vision, the more likely you will achieve all those things.

Write your vision out where everyone in your organization can see it. The key to achieving your vision is to keep your vision top of mind. And it’s imperative that every single person knows this vision by heart and can articulate it clearly. One way to gauge if your organization has a clear vision or not, is to go around the room and ask each individual what they think the company’s vision is. If you’re getting several different answers, then it’s time to reassess.

That’s it. Put your vision to work. Depending on your organization, there are going to be a variety of ways to do this. Name at least one activity that every person in the organization can and must do in order to achieve that mission. I was a stickler for deadlines when I was at Calvin Klein. If we didn’t execute on time or deliver something when we promised, we lost money and credibility. I didn’t want to hear excuses. Every person in the organization knew this and knew what our vision was and how to grow and expand the company. This meant that every person every day had to meet their deadlines. It was one “activity,” but it added up to huge profits and a culture of accountability. When we hired people, we were looking for people who could deliver. It was a non-negotiable. Ask yourselves-What are our non-negotiables in hiring?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” The same goes for your vision. Behave and act as if you’ve achieved your vision already. Calvin Klein’s brand is the perfect example of this, as well. We didn’t have to work too hard to attract qualified interested buyers and licensees of the brand, let alone employees, once we so clearly defined our brand and our vision. The company’s name spoke for itself. The culture spoke for itself. Every employee, partner, and customer, clearly knew what we were about and wanted to be a part of that vision of excellence—moreover, they knew they could count on us. We always delivered. Even if you’re not where you want to be as an organization, or have the talent you require, or the numbers you need, don’t let that stop you from executing your vision.

I do have one caveat. Yes, it is vital to have a clear vision, but it is important to retain short term flexibility to react as a circumstance requires—so it’s important to build into your vision, plans for the unexpected. If you plan for a variety of obstacles and challenges, you’re prepared to handle them in a way that doesn’t derail your path to your achieving your goals.
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Tom Murry is the retired CEO of Calvin Klein, who ran the company for 17 years and facilitated the brand’s growth from 2.8 billion to almost $8 billion. He is also the author of A Great Fit, due to be published in 2019. Visit  www.tommurry.com Follow @TomMurryAuthor Connect Tom Murry