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This is the 2nd article in a series that covers essential business principles for successfully leading a virtual professional services firm. Many organizations benefit from the flexibility that comes with operating virtually. However, there are unique challenges that require strategic leadership and a keen understanding of how to manage a fully remote team. This series delves into practical strategies and actionable solutions that foster growth of virtual services firms by turning challenges into opportunities and paving the way to success.
Strong business leaders create and socialize a UNIFYING VISION for the future so that the team feels part of a larger purpose and empowered to make decisions consistent with that vision.
You CAN predict the future. Think about that. I say again, you CAN predict the future. You can do it by creating a vision of the future and follow that up by proactively creating that future. Easier said than done? Not really. There is just one prerequisite. You must be willing to be persistent and unrelenting in shaping the future. If you are, your vision can and will come to fruition. If you are not, then you are passing the time wishing for what will never come.
The “Create a Vision to Create the Future” principle is a driver of success for all organizations and is particularly crucial for virtual professional services firms. This is because for a virtual company to create a vision and be tenacious in achieving its vision, there must be true cohesion within and across remote teams. It can be difficult to attain exceptional togetherness in virtual settings where:
• Direct oversight is limited,
• Team members feel isolated from time to time, and
• The risk of miscommunication can be high.
Mission statements are everywhere. A good mission statement defines the business, outlines objectives, and conveys how the company will achieve those objectives. A good VISION statement defines the company’s aspirational future. Mission statements are universal, but vision statements are NOT as prominent. This may be a function of a “meet or beat the numbers” culture dominated by short-term thinking. Too many business leaders have trouble seeing beyond monthly or quarterly targets. Whatever the reason, the sense of urgency fades when it comes to creating a vision statement.
These are great questions that go unasked and unanswered too often. Creating and constantly revisiting a company vision can be a competitive advantage. Sounds strange, right? Isn’t it standard for a company to be forward thinking, have and share a vision to help drive future success, and regularly reexamine that vision to stay on a winning path? NO, it is not. Many organizations treat a vision statement as something to create because a business textbook says so. These companies document their vision at a boring committee meeting, put it in a file, and rarely refer to it again much less share it with the staff.
The only thing more irrational than having a poorly conceived vision is having NO vision at all. At a young company earlier in my career, I heard mixed messages about the strategic direction for the future. I sought clarity and reached out to two leaders at the top. I kept it simple and asked, “Where do you see this company going in the future and how do you see us getting there?” One leader reacted like a deer in headlights. That rattled me a little. The other leader rambled about a lecture given by a former business professor. Let’s just say the conversation drifted. No vision emerged. That rattled me a lot. I promptly jumped to a company with a growth plan and leadership that was happy to share their vision. That company, the one with a vision, became wildly successful. As for the other company without a vision, it quickly became just like its documented vision…non-existent.
Whether starting from scratch to create the vision or revising a current one, senior leadership needs to take the bull by the horns and make it happen. Deprioritizing this initiative and putting it on the back burner in favor of focusing on current tasks is too easy. Some call it human nature. I call it neglect.
Below are motivating factors that make a strong case for prioritizing the development of a clear, common vision. Utilized effectively, a vision statement:
1. Drives and facilitates better long-term performance
2. Provides transformative power by keeping the ideal future in mind
3. Offers high-level guidance for the entire company
4. Unites the team around common long-term goals
5. Inspires the entire business toward achieving substantial outcomes
If these factors are not enough, take it from two of the best business leaders ever.
“Good business leaders create and articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion." (Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric)
"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't be lulled into inaction." (Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft)
The size and makeup of a team to work on a vision statement will vary based on company structure and culture. However, it is important to get input and alignment from multiple stakeholders. Key sources include senior leadership, department heads, team leaders, and other influencers. Involving a broad array of stakeholders will make the vision meaningful, achievable, and supported.
Devise and follow your own process and rules. There is no step-by-step recipe to create the best vision statement for every organization. Take liberties and make brainstorming fun with creative exercises where colleagues work together (e.g., storytelling, collages about the future, headlines about the company in 5-10 years). If everyone has fun throwing in ideas, the vision statement will come together like a unique work of art.
A fundamental aspect to inject into the process is to ensure all on the Vision Team row in the same direction. Everyone should think of the vision as:
• What the company desires to be
• A spotlight on goals for the future
• A stimulating depiction of what the company will accomplish
• An affirmation for the company to rally around
For the final product, some opt for a short 1-sentence vision statement such as “We will be the best in the world at [purpose of the business].” While being aspirational is important, this is concise to a fault and irritatingly unrealistic. Others choose to be overly detailed and write 2 to 3 paragraphs that broadly communicate multiple pathways for growth. The problem here is the vision will be non-specific, ill-defined, and too much to remember.
I recommend a happy medium between those extremes. One healthy paragraph of about 50 words is concise enough to be memorable and provides adequate room to make the vision optimistic, unique, and impactful. Below are helpful criteria for an effective vision statement.
1. Brief and easy to remember: enables stakeholders to understand and retell the vision in their own words
2. Clear and specific: provides strong direction and purpose
3. Future oriented: conveys what the company aims to achieve 5 or 10 years ahead
4. Inspirational and ambitious: motivates striving for the desired future
Virtual professional services firms should view a vision statement as an opportunity to help overcome challenges associated with a remote workforce. Here are a few examples of how the vision can address specific issues.
Challenge: At times, remote staff may feel isolated
• We will be a tight community with optimal teamwork and collaboration.
Challenge: Risk of miscommunication in virtual settings can be high
• We will achieve seamless and consistent internal communication.
Challenge: Attaining high levels of virtual engagement can be difficult
• We will recognize and leverage everyone’s skills and contributions regardless of their physical location.
Socializing the vision statement is critical to achieve a unified sense of purpose and direction. By getting everyone to understand and embrace the vision, the team is reminded that we all contribute to long-term success. Leadership must also continually communicate progress toward the ideal future. Few things are more rewarding in business than celebrating achievements and milestones.
If you keep the vision alive, you reinforce the prediction for an outstanding future and empower the team to work together to build that future.
