In the current business environment of strategic execution and building dynamic and flexible goals, where does long term visioning set in?
According to Harvard Business Review “One of the most visible and essential elements of your job as a leader is to create an exciting, unified vision of the longer-term future for your company or unit”. This Long-Term Vision Mindset also applies to your personal career as well as your life ahead roadmap. Earlier on kids who completed their basic education were often asked by their family and friends “What do you want to become?”. Many decades back the answers were limited as professions were limited. The answer would be, Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer etc. However new and niche professions as we all know are just mushrooming. And therefore, new opportunities. There are visions beyond just professions. Today especially from the Zoomer generations you might also hear long term visions like- Contributing to happiness, actively working in the green domain and more!
However, the Long-Term Vision Mindset is broadly the destination planning of the organisation you work for or your own career. “It is the practice of prioritizing sustainable, compounding growth and overarching life goals over immediate gratification” (HBR). Here are some basics which will proactively make you cultivate this mindset-
Define your own long-term vision
This actually is your kick start point. Look back at your journey in life.
Where did you want to reach? Did you reach where you had planned to reach? If not, what were the reasons that you changed your path? Was there probably the realisation that you may not be suited for your professional destination? Or was it an unforeseen opportunity. Analyse your past journey and its learnings.
Then look at where you ultimately want to go. Firstly, you must see if going forward to the destination you have set for yourself is realistic. The best way to do this is to confide and consult in someone you trust and truly wants you to become your best version.
Your long-term vision then starts crystalising and the long road ahead starts to get clearer.
Break your long-term vision into your self-components
Our thoughts are consistently conditioned by what we see and know, and it can be hard to set them aside and create a new vision. (Angela Guido)
Now that you have somewhat defined your own long term vision roadmap start breaking them into your self-components. For example, align your vision into what you are in terms of being a human being now and what you need to become to reach your long-term vision. Revisit your values and repaint them with the shades of future maturity. Mindset means change in the way your mind is set. Feel absolutely free to change the way your mind is set if it adds power to creating and achieving your long-term vision. At any cost avoid any short-term myopia.
Cherry on top of the long-term vision cake- Strategic vision
Strategic vision undoubtedly fortifies your long-term vision mindset, the capacity to think ahead and get ready for your wants instead of reacting to what takes place.
Strategic visioning helps you narrow focus on the milestones you have created in your path of the long-term vision mindset. Across all your self-components whether in career, lifestyle or even in mental health. At this stage of evolution do create a goal statement which actually is your guide to intentional growth. In all my articles in this column I have always stressed on the fact that mindset is a conscious tool for behaviour change for success. Deliberate planning leads to real growth and there is no bigger and effective journey map than the Long-Term Vision Mindset.
To sum up “When people talk about becoming their best selves, they are talking about moving toward a bigger picture, something a strong and a long-term vision can provide”. (TDK Strategies)
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
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