Plenty of people and organizations have vision statements, but where is the vision in:
- Being the best among our competition? (Relative Mastery)
- Being great at what we do? (Absolute Mastery)
While mastery is a key aspect of any pursuit, it tells us virtually nothing about the future we want to strive for.
- Who do we want to become?
- What do we want to do?
A vision statement should be able to clearly direct the efforts of all involved, acting as a counter to our individual preferences. SpaceX, for example, is clearly the best in its industry; no competitor has been able to keep up with their innovations. Their vision clearly wasn’t to be the best, it is to go to mars. While the statement is a good start, but it is only the seed for a true vision. It should grow and evolve to clarify all of the important aspects:
Whether or not many of us can produce a video like this, our visions should be foundational to the content:
- Statement
- We will travel to Mars
- Story
- Long form description of making the journey to Mars
- Storyboard
- Panels of the key visuals demonstrating the journey to Mars
- Trailer
- Simulation (Virtual or physical)
- Interactive experience of key parts of the journey
- Prototype
- Full build of a rocket and other requirements
- Trial
- Single rocket to Mars, with expendable goods
As each level is reached, we gain a far greater understanding of the vision, and any issues with it:
A similar effect continues as we expand to a larger userbase:
Of course, getting to Mars is only part of the problem, but it is enough for the example. The greater vision is to become a multiplanetary species, not merely space tourists: