Things to Know: Vision to Results

Without vision, results won't matter.  You can set goals, take action and produce results...and if the results are not based on the vision of the organization, all you have done is wasted resources.  You can only hope that you have come close to hitting the vision target.  You can only hit the vision target of the organization if you know what it is. Otherwise, you are just shooting in the dark.  

The way to measure your actual Vision Maturity (VMM)  level is time consuming and takes some effort to capture the data.  This is proprietary and I can not share it with you on this site.  However, you can guesstimate your VMM level with a simple survey.  It is not as accurate but you will get a sense of where you are.  This guesstimate only works for the overall organization and does not take into account the complexity of the organizations operations.  To do this quick measure you will need to interview the "Vision Master" (gold owner) of the organization.  It is important to make sure you find the right person, and talk to them one-on-one.  Do not do this in a team environment.  The only question that you need answered is "Please tell me your current vision statement for your organization."  This should be a short and direct statement.  Be careful here not to just take a slogan or some written statement that has been with the company of years. Usually this means that there is no vision or direction within the organization.

Write the vision statement down from the Vision Master.  Next task is to walk the halls of the organization and ask the question "What is the organization's (company's) vision?"  You must do this in short order, in private and without much fanfare; Remember this is a test.  Give them 15 to 30 seconds to respond.  Count if they get it correct or not.  You will need to have a sample size based on the level of certainty you would like, using standard statistical sampling guidelines. When done total the correct responses and divide by the total number of people asked.  This will give you a percent between 0 and 100.  The following chart will give you a rough guesstimate of the VMM level of the organization:
Level 0 @ 0% - 25% 
Level 1 @ 26% - 75% 
Level 2 @ 76% - 95% 
Level 3 @ 96% - 100%


Visit www.vigoacre.com to see more details on the Vision Maturity Model. 

Some examples of good visions statements are:

Lockheed Martin's Vision:  Powered by Innovation, Guided by Integrity, We Help Our Customers Achieve Their Most Challenging Goals.

Anheuser-Busch: Be the world's beer company.Through all of our products, services and relationships, we will add to life's enjoyment.

Boeing 1950: Become the dominant player in commercial aircraft and bring the world into the jet age.
Boeing Current: People working together as one global enterprise for aerospace leadership.

Ford Early 1900s: Democratize the automobile.
Ford Current: To become the world's leading Consumer Company for automotive products and services.

Honda 1970: We will destroy Yamaha.
Honda Current: To Be a Company that Our Shareholders, Customers and Society Want.

Kraft Foods: Helping People Around the World Eat and Live Better.

As you can see, sometimes vision statements need to change over time.  Good ones can stand the test of time.  If your organization completely knows and understands the vision of the organization then you will be well on the way to getting the results that you expect.