Have you lost sight of your vision?

I’m hearing more and more people talk about how they don’t like the company they work for anymore or maybe never did at all. They seem disgruntled and really are just going through the motions to get their paychecks. Oh sure, there’s going to be the 2-3% of the population that excel and claw their way to a great life. But this blog is not about the overachievers. This blog is about the other 97% of your workforce that you rely on to keep your business going and hopefully growing.

Every large company starts with an idea, a vision, imagination, courage and the desire to create something special. Then something incredible and terrible happens at the same time: success. The companies actually realize their founder’s visions and then in a span of whatever time become multi-billion dollar corporations with tens of thousands of employees. Many of them lose sight of what made them great in the first place by failing to communicate their vision as they grow. They come to the conclusion they’re so big that they can’t fail. Right, Blockbuster? Right, US Airways? Yes, both were cited for poor customer service as the cause of their demise. You might say in Blockbuster’s case it was the advancement of technology, but if they had great people working for them that cared and they invested in technology, shouldn’t they be Netflix? If you Google the most disliked companies in the United States you’ll find some very recognizable names on the list. Companies like Bank of America, Direct TV, Delta Airlines and, yes, your beloved Facebook. Not cited for bad ATMs, poor TV reception, not flying in the air or bad resolution in the pictures you post. But yes, all cited and hated for having horrible customer service.

 

What would happen if everyone that worked for each of those companies was told “This is no longer your job – we want you to consider this your career. We want you here for the duration. You can excel in this company if you want to and we’ll provide you the tools to succeed. From now on a portion of the profit this company makes will be shared by everyone based on the customer service they provide, the solutions they deliver to our customers, their attitude and the buy-in to the vision of our company. You are not guaranteed a bonus – your bonus will be based on your contribution to our growth and your performance in the above areas.”
Think that would change things?

 

Your team members need to have a dream and it’s every company’s leader’s responsibility to provide each person they hire more than a dream. They need to provide them a dream with a realistic plan. That’s my definition of a vision. A vision is hope and a dream with a real plan attached to it. If people that work for you know they’re on your team and that they’ll be rewarded not only monetarily, but with security and a sense of belonging, you’ll see your business grow and hit its goals. The formula is as simple as sharing an attainable company vision, along with a clear outline of expectations and the promise of profit sharing, usually in the form of a bonus. I assure you the implementation of this formula will result in your team members treating your business as if it were their own, because in a sense it is. Watch how much more personal they take a disappointed customer, or a sale not made or how much more careful they are with spending and not wasting time or supplies.

 

Try it. It’s free to implement. And what have you got to lose… your business?

 

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