There is a general expectation, and often acceptance from people that don’t have their own business, that Business Owners know exactly what they want and how to get there. That is so far off the mark as the west is from the east. Over the next few weeks, I am going to share some of the things we help Business Owners with to get clarity on what they want, why they want what they want, and why this is important for them and their business.
We start at the beginning, the importance of Vision, Mission, and Purpose (VMP).
You can “blah-blah” about this until you are blue in the face, but successful Business Owners, all have it.
A reminder – Vision is what you want to do, Mission is how to do it, and Purpose is why you do it.
My youngest daughter wants to help children below the age of 9 to face less challenges in their first 2 years in school – her Vision.
Her Mission is to be a teacher. That “type” of teacher does not exist yet, so she is studying teaching to get into the system, find out more and then design what she is looking for.
Her why – so that children will have a better image of themselves, be happy in their own skin and get a solid grounding in who they are.
My Vision is to make a dent in poverty in SA.
My how is Business Owner Peer Advisory boards where Business Owners get “Shared Wisdom. Bottom Line Success”, complemented by individual one-to-one Implementation & Measurement sessions.
My why – better businesses keep existing jobs, grow, and create more jobs. Having a job, and earning an honest salary contribute to a person’s dignity, impacting positively in reducing crime, violence in all its formats, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse.
I share the above to show that your VMP is not a lengthy document. It does require though that you know what you want, and why.
In the absence of a clear VMP, you become part of the population that settle for what they get as opposed to get what you want.
What are the things that a Personal Vision (PV) should consist of?
In very easy to understand language – it is how you want to live your life.
The things that impact this are –
Your Role in the business;
Your Compensation from the business;
Your Health;
Your Personal Growth;
Time spent with Friends & Family;
Time spent on Fun & Recreation;
Work/Life Integration;
Community involvement;
Humanitarian involvement.
Your Business Vision is what will give you your PV, and consists of –
Industry Leadership;
Business Purpose;
Products/Services;
Market Share;
Culture Supporting Vision;
Employee Development;
Operational Effectiveness;
Financial Health;
Customers/Markets;
Distribution.
My next post is on Your Role in the business, and the Purpose of your Business.