All of us have had ‘wishes’ that we hoped would come true. Think about the penny you dropped in the fountain while making a wish as a kid. What did you wish for? Most likely, you had a vision in your head of what that wish looked like. The first step in successfully planning and implementing a project or business that will make you look like a project manager superhero is creating that Vision.
In the One Page Business Plan™ (OPBP), the Vision answers the question:
What are you building?
You may be building a business, a department, a process, or a new product, and even an event.
You need to create a well-crafted statement that specifically tells others, what you want the future to look like as it relates to this project or business. Here’s the great part………we have templates to get you started, just in case you are already overwhelmed. Here’s an example:
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Get started on your plan and play with this template. You may need a few drafts before you feel really comfortable with it. Keep in mind that this is just a start. You can always revisit your Vision later and alter if needed. This is the first stake in the ground that you need in order to align the rest of your plan to a successful outcome.
Let’s take the business example above and say that 6 months into the project, it is discovered that the revenue will be decreased by half a million due to significant changes in the U.S. economy. These are things that are out of your control, yet they affect the outcome of your project. You now have some choices. For example, you can alter the Vision to adjust to the decreased amount, or this 25% decrease may be enough for you to determine it’s no longer lucrative enough to move forward with the project. At least you have parameters within your Vision to help you make decisions to move forward.
Play with the template a little and work on a draft or two. This takes some time to think, reflect and let your creative juices flow. Give that gift to yourself.
The next post will address your Mission, and answer the mysterious question we all ask ourselves: Why do we exist?
Don’t want to wait for the next post to get started? Of course, if you are ready to ‘dive all in’, you can buy the workbook here, or send me an email at lzettler@coreimpactcoaching.com to inquire about private planning or team sessions.
Check out our video workshop here.
Related Posts:
How is a business like a wedding? (#1 in Business Planning Series)
Assess Your Starting Point (#2 in Business Planning Series)