It is easy to get distracted, worried or overly anxious given the situation our society and economy are facing right now. There are threats but, at the same time, also very promising opportunities that most of us have never experienced this intensely. As a result, we are all challenged by the need to make important decisions almost daily.
But how do you know if you are doing the right things? There is a simple answer that applies to a majority of the situations: If you have a sound vision for your company and your life all you have to do is to check whether the decision brings you closer to making your vision a reality or not.
A vision is a clear, compelling and detailed picture of where you and your company want to be 5 to 10 years from today. It gives direction, clarity and creates a purpose to become better, grow and succeed. And it provides guidelines and an orientation for every decision that confronts you, not only for yourself, but also for your staff.
Of course there is the need to protect the company from short term liquidity problems, and there might be promising short term opportunities to make some additional profit. But you should ask yourself: “Does this get me closer to making my vision a reality?” If the answer is “yes”, you are good to go, if the answer is “no” you need to evaluate if this opportunity can make you money without jeopardizing your vision. Of course survival of the business for many is the main short-term focus right now. But that should never replace the long-term destination of your company.
If you already have a vision for your business: great. All you have to do is make sure that you run your decision through a “does it serve my vision-check“. If you don‘t have a vision, perhaps now is the right time to stop for a day or two and deeply think about where you want your business to be in five and ten years from now. It will definitely pay off.
We are passionate about helping business owners define or clarify their personal and business vision because we have seen the true value it brings and the sustainable performance improvement and, ultimately, profit increase that results in every case.