V - Vacuum.  One way to more actively use your vision is to think of it as a vacuum.  By keeping your vision top of mind as a guide it becomes easier to suck up the extraneous activity and energy that isn’t supportive of your vision and goals.  Many organizations post copies of their vision around the office in an attempt to keep it top of mind.  That is a fine thing to do, but that alone is not enough.  Vision-focused organizations practice vision immersion by actively using their vision as a compass.  Try devoting one team meeting each month to tracking progress towards vision.   

I – Imagine the future.  Make your vision tangible and attainable. Spend time with your team visualizing what your business will look like when you’ve achieved your vision.  Schedule one or several meetings to discussing questions that help you bring your vision to life for your team.  When we achieve our vision: What will your customers be experiencing, and saying?  How will employees be describing our organization? If you are working toward a personal vision, what will your friends and family be experiencing and saying?

S - Stake out goals that support vision.  What are the goals that will specifically enable you to realize your vision?  Document the link between how specific goals will contribute to vision achievement.  One leader we admire breaks down elements of her team’s visions and lists team and individual goals under those vision headings.

I - Inventory and Inspect activity. Examine the activity of your team.  Examine your activity.  Does it support goals and move you closer to your vision?  Or, are you and your team getting bogged down in political activities that have become “shoulds” and “nice-tos” for the broader organization?

O - Operationalize execution.  How have you operationalized the execution of your goals?  How have you operationalized the consistent inventory and inspection of activity?  At your regular team meetings do you spend time reviewing your vision and the action steps you are taking to achieve it?  Can your team articulate the vision?

N - Navigate the detours.  As you experience every day, everyone has a vision and an agenda.  How can you successfully navigate the needs and wants of your colleagues and bosses and stay on track to achieve your vision?  Take time to anticipate potential obstacles and discuss how you and your team will handle the inevitable bumps in the road.  Doing this in advance will help you avoid paralysis in the face of obstacles.

Using your VISION is a cyclical process.  Create routines where you and your team talk about your vision and goals.  Be ruthless about continuing to inventory and inspect activity and stop any that doesn’t move you closer to your goals and vision. 

In our previous two articles we suggested that “simplicity-mindedness” is a competency leaders should begin to embrace to drive business results.  We explored how reflection and planning is an integral component of leadership success and shared first-hand experience and wisdom from leaders who we admire.