One of the simplest disciplines to make sure everyone in your organization understands, buys in, and shares your company vision is doing a quarterly state-of-the–company address.
This powerful and effective routine has many benefits and forces you to be a better leader.
If you simply start by committing to addressing all of your people every 90 days, after your quarterly planning, this is the starting point to all of the benefits.
State-of-the-company Vision Structure
Let me start with the structure first before the rewards. It should be no more than 30 to 60 minutes and should hopefully include some Q&A and interaction. In that time frame, you share three subjects:
- Where we’ve been
- Where we are
- Where we are going
You simply fill each of the above three “buckets” with two or three real and honest data points and/or information, and then voilà—you’ve delivered a state-of-the-company address.
The benefits are as follows:
- You will help your people to understand, buy into, and engage in your company vision (please note you must tell them seven times before they hear it for the first time; it takes time).
- You will force yourself to create a concise, well–thought-out message, which helps you and your leadership team buy in.
- You give people the opportunity to decide if your company is right for them.
- You increase the company’s health by letting people ask questions and challenge aspects of the vision.
How did the Vision Shared by All concept get started?
I learned this powerfully effective discipline from my dad almost 20 years ago. I’ve implemented this discipline ever since in both of my companies and taught it to every one of my hundred-plus clients.
Do it next quarter and every quarter after that and your vision will be shared by all. It works.
