Building a Vision

Jone Asug July 7, 2011

Stephanie Cancio Group HW

Ayke Dreyfus

Anna Ignacio

Jillian Ng

Nikki Paras

Mico Suba

Jerrika Tsai

Building a Vision

Creating and having a clear vision for your own company is important for any institution. The dynamic of preserving the core while stimulating progress is the reason why these companies such as Johnson & Johnsons, 3M, Motorola, P&G, Unilever, Nestle and the like became elite institutions able to renew themselves and achieve superior long-term performance. A vision provides guidance to the company or institution specifically about what core to preserve and what future to stimulate progress toward.

In a vision, there are two (2) major components: the Core Ideology and the Envisioned Future. Core Ideology defines what we stand for and why we exist. In reality, it is much more important to know who you really are than where you are going. One reason why this is so is that the place where you are going will eventually change as the world around you also changes. Moreover, one has to define himself first in order for his journey or direction to be firm. In relation to a company, the company must know itself first or define clearly its components before having a clear direction for the company for the company's identity will define its direction that it will take later on. Furthermore, the core ideology will be the source of guidance and inspiration for the company. It will also hold the company together especially in rough times.

Core Ideology also has two (2) distinct parts: the core values and the core purpose. The core values is a system of guiding principles and the core purpose is basically the organization's most fundamental reason of existence. What is really important for a company is not what the core values the company has rather the fact that it has core values to begin with. Companies tend to have between three (3) to five (5) core values because only a few values can be truly core- that is, so fundamental and deeply held that they will change seldom, if ever. Also, a company should not change its core values in response to market changes; rather, it should change markets, if necessary, to remain true to its core values. The reason why a company must not change its core values is that it will also confuse its employees and its customers for in changing its core values, the company's branding will also change.

Core purpose is the organization's reason for being. An effective purpose reflects people's idealistic motivations for doing the company's work. It is not a goal or a business strategy for a goal might be short term and a purpose should last at least 100 years. Furthermore, specific goals or business strategies may change many times in 100 years since the market is not a constant ground for businesses and businesses must adapt to the ever changing market as well as their strategies must also adapt to it. What is quite vague to a core purpose is that one cannot fulfill a purpose; it is like a guiding star on the horizon- forever pursued but never reached. Moreover, core purpose does not change rather it inspires change. The very fact that purpose can never be fully realized means that an organization can never stop stimulating change and progress.

Core Ideology's existence in a company must not be the needs to differentiate your company to others rather to guide and inspire people. Here are some guidelines to what a Core Ideology should be. A Core Ideology needs to be meaningful and inspirational only to people inside the organization; it need not be exciting to outsiders. One must not confuse core ideology itself with core ideology statements. A company may have a very strong core ideology without a formal statement.

On the other hand, the Envisioned Future is what we aspire or the company aspires to become, to achieve, to create something that will require change and progress to attain. It also expresses certainty or definiteness which involves a time yet unrealized. Envisioned Future also has two (2) components: BHAGs and the Vivid Description.

The BHAGs is much more known as the Big, Hairy, and Audacious Goals. It is usually a powerful way to stimulate progress within an institution or organization. It must be clear and compelling to the point that it unites the organization. Also, it must be tangible for