Strategic Envisioning: 4 Steps to Unlocking the Power of Imagination

Strategic envisioning. If the phrase sounds unfamiliar, you’re not alone. Many executives understand the need for a mission statement, but overlook the need for a strategic vision that unlocks the power of your team’s collective imagination.

Developing a Vision

In an article in Inc. magazine, columnist James Kerr asserts that developing visionary skills …”can improve your ability to anticipate and impact the future.” I couldn’t agree more. A well-crafted vision helps you imagine the future and forge an aspirational path for others to follow.

Ready to create a powerful vision? Here are a few guidelines to facilitate the process.

1) Think about alternative ways of doing things that could differentiate your company from others like it. Always ask yourself “Why not?” when new
ideas are presented. Now is the time to discard “this is the way we’ve always
done it” thinking!

2) Leverage ideas from your most creative people, even – or sometimes especially – if their ideas differ from yours. Disparate ideas based on similar values can combine to form the most impactful solutions.

3) Revisit your vision at regular intervals. Unlike the mission statement, which may stay the same for many years, envisioning is a process. A vision that evolves with the times is more resilient than one that stagnates.

4) Don’t attempt to measure the progress of your vision in numbers; evaluate it instead as you would a piece of art. A well-designed vision is a broad, creative look at the future of your company and its achievements – not a bullseye.

To gain additional perspective, I recommend the article mentioned above, as well as this article at fastcompany.com. To find out how iSeek can help, call or e-mail us today!