Without employee buy-in, fulfilling your vision is impossible.
Key takeaways:
- We can’t do it all ourselves. We need those who share our vision.
- Storytelling is one of the best ways to illustrate our vision.
- It’s essential to lead by example, offer support and resources, and regular check-ins
You have a vision—a key driver for you and your business. However, achieving it requires team buy-in. So, how do you go about selling your vision? The reality is that in entrepreneurial companies, most people join us at a pay cut and below their pay grade. We can’t offer the benefits, growth promises, or stability that established companies can provide.
What we offer is an alignment of vision. As visionaries, leaders, and entrepreneurs, our job is to sell our vision to our employees and convey how we can achieve more together. Without selling our vision, we can’t attract the right people to help build our companies. That’s the mission.
First, define your vision—the “why”—and align your company identity with your identity as an entrepreneur. You’re investing time, effort, and energy, assuming risks. To avoid burnout and resentment, your company must align with your life vision and purpose.
Communicate that vision. Once you clarify what you want and your vision, communicate it to your team, understand their visions, and create a shared vision. As an entrepreneur, you have an individual vision, but success depends on a shared vision, buy-in, and alignment so everyone moves in the same direction.
Communicate your vision
How you communicate your vision and purpose is crucial. Define it clearly and simply. Your purpose statement should be three to seven words—a motto describing why you do what you do. Once the leadership team is aligned, spread the word throughout the company, gain buy-in, and align with the vision’s roll-out. Ensure everyone knows where you’re going and what their role is in achieving the vision.
A great illustration of this is something that happened at NASA. It was the 1960s, and they were preparing for a moon shot. Inspectors were going through the NASA facilities and saw a guy cleaning the floors. The inspector asked, “What do you do here?” and the man replied, “I’m helping someone get to the moon.”
Here’s a tip for making sure your vision is being embraced. There’s a Profit Recipe client, Crewhu!, that makes software that’s great for employee recognition. It can help your organization recognize and reward people for their commitment to your vision and values while gathering feedback. It’s important to address concerns and objections to set clear expectations for everyone. This type of software also provides clear evidence and unbiased data to support the viability and benefits of the vision.
Use effective communication channels
Leverage every communication channel available. Use email, create channels on a messaging platform like Slack, and add channels for vision, purpose, and culture to share stories. Face-to-face communication is powerful for using storytelling and visuals to illustrate how the vision is applied practically.
- Stay connected and communicate often.
- Emphasize the importance of teamwork.
- Recognize employee understanding and contributions.
- Use inspiring language to trigger emotions.
- Show achievements and provide visuals.
Lead by example
This can’t be emphasized enough: lead by example. Selling your vision means embodying it. Share and live your vision daily. Be the North Star. Demonstrate commitment, overcoming challenges, and the importance of resiliency.
Create a roadmap
Everything needs a plan. Implement quarterly “state of the company” meetings to discuss where you are with the mission, what is going on right now, and where you’re going in the future. It should be town hall style with celebrations and discussion of roadblocks.
Break down rocks and set short and long-term milestones to achieve the vision. That’s all part of the traction, so make sure you know the top priorities and rocks and how to achieve them. As Gino Wickman says, “Vision without traction is hallucination.” These are words to live by—we need to be doing the things that get us to fulfillment of the vision.
Sustaining the vision
Keeping the vision alive means ensuring that it touches every corner of your organization. It takes more than the occasional mention; it’s about sticking with the vision and nurturing it until it’s part of your company’s DNA.
To keep the vision going strong, create an environment where every team member feels a personal link to it. Celebrate not only the wins but the entire journey, reinforcing that shared sense of purpose. Share stories of successes, challenges, and the unstoppable spirit that keeps your team moving ahead. Turn the vision into a shared story that sparks inspiration and motivation.
At the Profit Recipe, we work with you to develop adaptable leadership skills for success. Join our community of entrepreneurs to navigate the purposeful leadership journey. We’re here for you and because of you. Let us support your entrepreneurial journey—schedule a call with one of our experts today or send us a message.