Understanding the Vivid Vision: Beyond Conventional Strategic Planning

January 21, 2025

A vivid vision transcends the limitations of traditional vision statements, which often fall short due to vagueness, misalignment with values, or lack of communication. A vivid vision is a detailed and compelling description of what a business aims to achieve in 3-5 years, answering the question: What does amazing look like? Unlike static mission statements, it is dynamic, specific, and deeply integrated with the organization’s purpose, values, and strategy.

Common Pitfalls in Vision Creation

The effectiveness of traditional vision statements is undermined by several key issues:

  1. Lack of Specificity: Generic visions fail to provide actionable clarity, leaving employees disconnected from the broader organizational goals.
  2. Misalignment with Core Values and Culture: Visions that do not reflect the company’s values risk eroding authenticity and trust.
  3. Communication Gaps: Poor dissemination of vision leads to disengagement, with Gallup reporting only 22% of employees strongly agreeing that their company has clear direction.
  4. Exclusion of Stakeholders: A lack of inclusive vision development results in poor resonance and ownership among key players.
  5. Static Nature: Failure to adapt the vision to external market dynamics and internal growth erodes its relevance.

The Vivid Vision as a Solution

The vivid vision approach addresses these shortcomings by:

  • Offering detailed imagery of the future business.
  • Aligning with core values and strategic priorities.
  • Encouraging stakeholder involvement to build commitment.
  • Remaining adaptable to evolving circumstances.

The Role of Vivid Vision in the P2E Process

Our unique P2E (Purpose-to-Execution) process focuses on translating a company’s purpose into actionable strategies and measurable outcomes. A vivid vision bridges the gap between high-level purpose and day-to-day execution by providing a clear framework for decision-making and resource allocation.

How Vivid Vision Enhances the P2E Process

  1. Anchoring Purpose and Values
    The vivid vision grounds the organization’s strategy in its fundamental “why.” Purpose-driven companies grow 3x faster than their competitors, but this growth is only sustainable when aligned with core values. The vivid vision ensures that all strategic initiatives reinforce the company's foundational principles.
  2. Fostering Alignment Across Teams
    With detailed goals and vivid imagery, the vision aligns employees at all levels, ensuring that efforts are cohesive rather than fragmented. This alignment is critical in the messy middle, where businesses are large enough to face bureaucratic inefficiencies but small enough to lack the resources of large enterprises.
  3. Enabling Decision-Making with Clarity
    Decision filters derived from the vivid vision simplify choices by asking, Does this align with our desired future? This clarity prevents resource dilution and enables a focused approach to execution.
  4. Driving Strategic Focus
    A vivid vision narrows the organization’s priorities, helping leaders adopt a “great = few” mindset rather than spreading resources too thin. Research indicates that companies with fewer than three strategic priorities achieve significantly more than those pursuing broader agendas.
  5. Inspiring Innovation and Engagement
    By painting a compelling picture of the future, the vivid vision inspires employees, fosters a culture of innovation, and attracts top talent and investors.

Key Components of a Vivid Vision in the P2E Framework

To integrate a vivid vision effectively into the P2E process, it must include the following elements:

  1. Detailed Description of the Future
    Cover aspects like culture, customer experience, and market positioning in specific terms. For example, a technology firm might envision becoming “the leading AI solutions provider for mid-market businesses, renowned for innovation and customer-centricity.”
  2. Alignment with Core Values
    Ensure that the vision reinforces the company’s core values and aligns with its overarching purpose. This alignment fosters authenticity and consistency.
  3. Inspirational and Motivational Narrative
    Engage employees and stakeholders by describing an aspirational yet attainable future.
  4. Strategic Priorities and Measurable Milestones
    Include benchmarks to track progress, breaking the long-term vision into manageable short-term objectives.
  5. Adaptability to External Changes
    Build flexibility into the vision to accommodate evolving market conditions, technological advancements, or competitive shifts.
  6. Inclusiveness
    Incorporate perspectives from key stakeholders, including employees, customers, and investors, to enhance ownership and buy-in.
  7. Clear Communication
    Translate the vivid vision into actionable messaging that can be easily shared across all levels of the organization.

Practical Steps to Implement a Vivid Vision in P2E

  1. Define Purpose and Values First
    Begin by identifying the core “why” of your organization. Use tools like the Purpose Prism to align stakeholder needs with your value proposition.
  2. Craft the Vivid Vision
    Collaborate with stakeholders to write a detailed narrative describing your desired future. Ensure it addresses all aspects of the business, from culture to market impact.
  3. Align Strategy and Execution
    Break the vision into strategic priorities and execution plans. Ensure every department understands its role in achieving the vision.
  4. Communicate Relentlessly
    Use storytelling, visual presentations, and regular updates to keep the vision top-of-mind across the organization.
  5. Monitor and Adjust
    Regularly review progress against milestones and adapt the vision as necessary to remain relevant and impactful.

Conclusion: The Vivid Vision as a Strategic Catalyst

In the messy middle of business growth, the vivid vision offers a vital compass, guiding organizations toward sustainable success. By integrating the vivid vision into the P2E process, mid-market companies can achieve clarity, alignment, and focus, turning challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth.

The question for leaders is not whether to create a vivid vision, but how vividly can you imagine—and communicate—what amazing looks like?