5 ingredients you can use to build a vision statement immediately.

Everyone seems to get a little nervous when it comes to drafting a vision statement.  Here are 5 great ingredients you can use to build your right now.

  1. Be purpose-driven:
    Give your team a way to connect to larger purpose. Tell them why they are doing what they are doing and why it matters. This is the one must-have for your vision. Get to the heart of "why".
  2. Be daring:
    Imagine a future that you create by waving a magic wand. Don't get caught up in the steps you will take yet. Don't waste energy imagining risks. Treat it as a game "if I could wave a magic wand to create this future, what would I create?" 
  3. Orient to the future:
    Challenge the present. Vision refers to seeing the end of the journey, it is not limited to the present ground. A bold vision statement challenges the present by saying "we may be here, but there is where we are going." So describe the changed reality that your company has already created by taking this journey.
  4. Provide a simple point of focus:
    Think of your vision as a camera lens. It brings things into focus for you and your team. To create focus, it will need to be simple and easy to remember. 
  5. Inspire: 
    The language in your vision statement needs to invite people to take a journey with you. Provoke strong emotion and excitement with vivid imagery. That's the key to creating your enticing and clear "north star".

High Fives and Kudos Make Teams More Successful - Science.

High Fives and Kudos Make Teams More Successful -  Science.

Dacher Keltner, a Psychology Professor and the Director of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California @ Berkeley published a study on high-fives, fist bumps and chest bumps.  It turns out they correlate with team success and improved teamwork.  The Positive Coaching Alliance talks with him about the study in this interview.