Two Kinds of Vision

Most executives think of vision as the big-picture stuff — the mission statement, the values, the answer to "why does this company exist?" That vision sets direction. It inspires the movement. It answers the questions around where you're going and why it matters.

That vision is essential. But it's only half the job.

There's a second vision that doesn't get nearly enough attention, and in my experience it's the one that separates companies that execute from companies that just intend to. I call it the vision for the machine — a clear picture of what good looks like from an operational standpoint. Not the "why" or the "how," but the "what." What does this business look like when it's running the way I want it to run?

Here's the version I used most recently. When I could say all of these things and mean them, I knew the machine was working:

• We have a scalable model that makes money.

• Our processes drive our margins.

• We can forecast our results with accuracy and invest in our business with confidence.

• We know our prospects and customers and understand how they make decisions.

• We know our suppliers and they recognize our value.

• We have a reason for everything we do — the good of the customer and the worker.

• Our culture is strong enough to be a competitive advantage.

Simple. Communicable. Useful at every level of the organization.

The reason the vision for the machine matters is the same reason any vision matters: you go where your attention leads. If you can describe what good looks like, you can start building toward it — and eventually past it. Without it, execution stays vague, and vague execution is where margins go to die.

You need both visions. One tells your people where the company is going. The other tells them — and you — what it looks like when you're getting there.