Vision that Inspires A Tribe
As an entrepreneur the moment that light bulb hits is one of the best feelings of excitement and adrenaline. However, after the excitement fades away we begin to realize we need to get to work.The first thing that has to be done when starting a new business is to create a vision for the company. The definition of vision in business is as follows, “An aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. It is intended to serve as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action.”After we create the vision we can begin to craft the strategy to see it come to fruition.
However, how do we put together a vision that is motivating enough to push through all the obstacles that face start-ups and overcome the high failure rate of new businesses? We must create a vision around our values and the values of the company. Ask yourself, what matters to you? What do you stand for? What do you want the company to stand for? What impact do you want to make in your industry? How do you intend to add value to the consumer? Your values need to inspire and give you that fire to take action 10x what you think is required.
1. Create a Vision
“until you become completely obsessed with your mission, no one will take you seriously. Until the world understands that you're not going away—that you are 100 percent committed and have complete and utter conviction and will persist in pursuing your project—you will not get the attention you need and the support you want.” – - Grant Cardone
To give you an example, the values of the MentorMe Community are mentors, success, and freedom. Many companies may have a more extensive set of values but I prefer to keep it short and sweet. First, mentors represent my belief that we should seek better role models and content. We are bombarded with negative news from CNN and horrible role models from reality TV so we must make a conscious effort to look beyond these mediums and find better knowledge to grow.
Next, success represents the idea that we should strive to accomplish our goals and dreams and not look back. If we take consistent focused action we can eventually be the successful entrepreneurs we set out to be and become mentors to others. Last, freedom is the idea that we do not need to be at the mercy of a boss, sitting in a cubicle all day thinking of our next one week vacation that still hasn’t been approved. We can take control of our lives and rise above the system and enjoy true freedom.
2. Be Passionate
These are the values that mean the most to me and I have injected them into my business to grow a community of like-minded people. You must decide on your values and the values you want your company to inherit. To help you do this below are some tips to consider:
- You should be passionate enough about your values that you are willing to defend them in an argument.
- They should reflect what your company stands for and speak to your tribe or target market.
- They should be relevant to the industry your company is in. For instance, if you’re in fashion your values should not be centred on the fitness industry.
- In a perfect world all these values would exist in your life.
- The values may have impacted your life in a big way or may be the reason you’re starting the business.
- The values should be the value you intend to give back to the consumer.
Creating the values of your company is very important to the overall success of the company. Beginning with the values makes creating the vision and strategy much easier. When we start a company we begin to have all sorts of great ideas to move the business forward(Top To Start A Business). If we pursue every idea we have it may cause us to become unfocused and overwhelmed which can be detrimental to the progress of the company. Creating our values allows us to evaluate each idea and decide if it correlates to the company’s value system and overall vision.
3. Grow a Community
Find a quiet room or a place that relaxes you, put on some thinking music, close your eyes and just think to yourself. Write down everything that matters most to you about your new business and the impact you want to make.
Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny. – Mahatma Gandhi
