“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” - Jack Welch
In the world of business, having a clear and compelling vision is not just a luxury - it's a necessity. This quote perfectly encapsulates the essence of strategic leadership. It highlights the importance of not just seeing the big picture in your business but also fully embracing it and moving it forward with dedication.
As a leader of an architecture practice, understanding and embodying this principle is vital. In this article, I want to share with you how to create a compelling vision for your practice and the immense benefits that come with having a strong business vision.
Why Architects Are Natural Visionaries
The good news for architects is that creating visions comes naturally. Imagination is one of the key strengths of architects - the ability to form mental images and ideas and then translate them into the real world. When it comes to business leadership and creating a compelling vision and subsequent business strategy, the same principles apply. The process of developing a business vision and subsequent strategy isn’t all that different from designing a building; it requires creativity, foresight, and meticulous planning.
The vision framework I use with my clients is informed by the work of Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, as first discussed in their book Built to Last. This process revolves around four key components:
Core Values - Who are you as a practice? What’s important to you? What do you stand for?
Core Purpose - What is your "why"? What is the reason for your practice’s existence beyond just making money?
BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) - A compelling long-term goal that drives progress.
Envisioned Future - What will your practice look like when you've achieved your BHAG?
Now, let’s explore each of these components in greater detail.
Core Values: The Foundation of Your Vision
Core values are the timeless and enduring principles that define who you are as a practice. They are the foundation upon which your entire business vision is built. These values should be so fundamental that you would uphold them even if they became a competitive disadvantage. Core values are not just about what’s trendy or profitable; they reflect what’s truly important to you and your team. For these values to be effective, they need to be tangible guiding principles - clear and actionable for everyone in the practice, not just lofty words.
Core Purpose: The Heartbeat of Your Practice
Your core purpose is your WHY. It represents your practice’s most fundamental reason for being - beyond just making money. To define your core purpose, consider questions such as, “Why are we important to the people we serve – our team, our clients, our community, the planet? What would be lost if we ceased to exist?” and “What kind of impact do we want to have on our clients and the world?” A clearly defined core purpose not only guides but also inspires everyone in the practice, providing a deep sense of meaning and direction.
Envisioned Future: Painting the Picture of Success
Your envisioned future paints a vivid picture of what your practice aspires to become, achieve, or create in the long term. Imagine your practice 10, 20, or 30 years from now - what would you love to see? Consider questions such as:
What clients are we working with?
What kinds of projects are we designing?
What impact are we making?
What type of company culture have we cultivated?
Are we a small, tight-knit team or a large international organisation?
Your envisioned future serves as a clear picture of success, encompassing your BHAG and guiding your decisions and actions as you move forward.
The BHAG: Setting the Stage for Ambition
The Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is about looking to the future with ambition. It’s an inspiring yet challenging goal that stimulates progress and pushes your practice beyond its comfort zone. A good BHAG has several key attributes:
Long-term Perspective: It should span 10 to 30 years, encouraging long-term thinking.
Tangible and Clear: It should have a definite finish line, giving you a specific target to aim for.
Ambitiously Challenging: It should be bold and challenging, with a 50% to 70% chance of success. This drives significant growth and improvement.
BHAGs are powerful motivators. Even if you don’t achieve the goal, the journey towards it leads to substantial progress and accomplishments. A classic example of a BHAG is John F. Kennedy’s 1960s goal to put a man on the moon. Your own BHAG should be specific to your practice and deeply aligned with your core values and purpose. Pursuing a compelling BHAG is akin to embarking on a mission!
The Visionary Process: Discovery and Creation
Creating a business vision involves both discovery and creation. The discovery process is about uncovering your core values and core purpose - it’s like soul-searching for your practice, digging deep to clarify who you are and what you stand for. The creative process, on the other hand, is about shaping the future; it involves being intentional and deliberately painting a vivid picture of what you want to see for the practice in the long-term future, along with setting your BHAG to inspire and motivate your team.
Business Vision and Business Development: The Lead Designer Approach
When it comes to business leadership, you should view yourself as the lead designer of your practice. Your role as practice leader is to create an inspiring vision and guide your team in translating that vision into reality. Business development, in this sense, isn’t much different from design development.
You start with a concept or vision, and then add more layers of detail. The stronger your initial vision, the easier the execution, as every decision you make will be informed by that foundational design concept. From strategic objectives for marketing and recruitment to processes and procedures, your vision will guide every aspect of your business development.
Of course, no matter how detailed your business plan is, there will always be challenges outside your control - like for instance a global financial crisis or pandemic. During such times, a strong and clear vision will help you stay focused and maintain perspective, even if you have to temporarily veer off your original plan.
The Benefits of a Clear Business Vision
A clear business vision offers numerous benefits:
It provides a sense of purpose.
It brings focus and direction.
It guides decisions along the way.
It informs strategic objectives.
It defines short- and mid-term goals.
It helps attract like-minded employees, clients, and collaborators.
Most importantly, a compelling business vision engages and motivates everyone in the practice, inspiring creativity, innovation, and continuous improvement. As the practice leader, it’s your responsibility to create, own, and drive this vision, ensuring that your practice not only survives but thrives in the long term.
To help practice leaders craft a compelling business vision - whether they’re sole practitioners or part of a leadership team - I’ve developed the strategic visioning programme CREATE. This programme offers a structured framework to develop your business vision and strategy, along with a non-judgmental strategic thinking partner who can inspire, reflect, and ask the probing questions that help you cut through the clutter.
Learn more here: Strategic Visioning Programme for Practice Leaders .
All photos courtesy of Unsplash.
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