Your first question upon opening this blog might be: What is a Vivid Vision® and how does it benefit my company’s future?
Well to answer the first part of that question…
“A Vivid Vision® is a document, roughly three pages in length, describing what a company’s highest-ranking executive envisions for that company in vivid detail. It describes what the future holds for the company but not how it’ll get there.” – Cameron Herold Blog
For the second part of that question, the rest of this blog is here to answer that.
Your Company is Like an Olympic Athlete
You might find that statement a little strange, but keep reading. If you watched any of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, you may have seen American downhill skier Lindsey Vonn’s pre-race routine. She would stand there, close her eyes, bob her head back and forth, and wave her hand in front of her face. In other words, she looked like someone having a good time at a Grateful Dead concert.
But what does this have to do with Vivid Vision® and leaning into the future?
Well, in actuality, Vonn was visualizing the run in her head. She was picturing herself carving the turns, tucking on the flats, and sticking the jumps. The two medals she won (including gold) are solid, shiny proof that visualizing works.
But What Does This Have to do With You and Your Company?
You don’t need to be an elite athlete to use visualization. You can use it in just about all aspects of your life, from golfing to renovating the house to going on vacation.
Not only that, but visualization is one of the best tools you can use when growing your company.
Visualization and Your Vivid Vision®
Visualization is a major part of creating a successful Vivid Vision®. It’s an essential exercise every young, ambitious business owner should undertake.
In the case of a Vivid Vision®, visualizing (or, in other words, leaning into the future) involves picturing your business three years down the road, but not in some ambiguous, conceptual way. Close your eyes, hop in your mental time machine, and take a tour around your company three years in the future. Don’t get caught up in the realism either. Dream as big as you want to.
Details to Take Note Of
While you’re visualizing your company three years in the future, take note of as many details as you can. These could include:
- What does your office look like? Is it open concept? A cubicle farm?
- How many employees do you have?
- What is your day like? Are you talking to suppliers? Interviewing job applicants? Negotiating with the bank?
- What are employees talking about around the water cooler (we should still have water coolers in three years, right?)
- What is your marketing like? Are you advertising on TV yet? Have you rebranded?
- How are you funded now? Venture capital? Have you gone public?
- What does the media write about you? Do you have a PR department?
- Is the business reflecting your core values?
On one level, doing this lets you enjoy the thrill of seeing where all your hard work is going to take you. On another, more important level, visualizing this future for your Vivid Vision® helps you begin to set goals and make the kinds of conscious and subconscious changes to your thought patterns and behavior that you’ll need in order to create this imagined future.
There is so much research that shows the positive effects of visualization. If it works for Lindsey Vonn and just about every other elite athlete in the world, it should certainly do wonders for you, your company, and your Vivid Vision®.
Do you use visualization in your life? How has it worked for you? Let us know in the comments below!
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2016 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
