Scheduling a Vision Checkup

As back-to-school hits and fall approaches, it’s the perfect time of year for checkups. I know a lot of people that use this time to schedule check-ins for their physical health, but what about your workplace health?

Have you checked in on your vision lately? I’m not talking about eyesight; I’m talking about your vision statement and mission statements. Are your daily and monthly tasks aligning toward that single focus and goal? Or has the daily grind gotten you off-task?

In other words, are you truly leading, or are you just great at managing? Because leaders lead toward the vision. Managers lead toward the task.

Scheduling a vision checkup isn’t something that should just happen once in a blue moon. It should be an ongoing occurrence to ensure everyone on the team is working toward a common goal.

Here are three easy ways to make sure you do this consistently.

1. PAUSE AND LOOK AHEAD.

Take intentional time away from the day-to-day tasks in order to reflect on the long-term direction of your organization. Identify the direction you’re going in the far future, not just in the current quarter. Make sure the vision is still clear, compelling, and relevant. This isn’t about metrics for the month or quarter; it’s about making sure you’re guided by your North Star. Leaders see further and help others see further, too.

2. ALIGN YOUR DAILY WORK TO THE VISION.

Audit your team’s current activities, and make sure your daily tasks are aligned with the vision and mission. Can each team member clearly see how their work contributes to the bigger picture? Misalignment can cause drift, but clear alignment increases engagement, ownership, and buy-in.

3. COMMUNICATE AND RECOMMIT OFTEN.

Vision isn’t limited to a poster hanging in the break room; it’s a rhythm of the office itself. Build it into your meetings and leadership language. Are you repeating and reinforcing it regularly? Are you making sure the vision drives decisions, behaviors, and culture? When your team hears the vision consistently, they’re more likely to believe in it, live it, and lead others through it.

Vision isn’t just a soft, pie-in-the-sky platitude you have because “they” say you should have one. It’s the driving force and backbone of your organization. There shouldn’t be a meeting on a weekly basis you go into as a leader that you don’t reinforce the mission and vision of the organization. Build common language that drives beliefs, and in turn behaviors, toward that vision.

Looking for more corporate leadership insights to influence your leadership strategy?

Every week, Maxwell Leadership’s staff of industry-leading growth and development professionals releases free leadership resources for the benefit of you and your team. Our Executive Leadership podcast offers expert insights on today’s most pressing corporate leadership topics, while our Maxwell Leadership podcast highlights transformational influence.