I use to think that Vision and Mission Statements was just a consultant/academic type exercise. I did them but I have to honestly admit, it may have been more of an exercise than a real vision. In recent years, working with such a variety of companies, I have shifted my thinking. Without vision, you seldom provide a unifying theme of purpose. All of your objectives, all the measures, all the targets, etc. become disjointed. In a recent interview for a future Business901 Podcast, Ari Weinzweig, CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, MI said, “Vision comes from the heart”. That statement sums it up perfectly. The presentation is available in the training section on Business901.com

1. Joe Dager – Business901

2. Natural Laws of Business
“An inspiring, strategically sound
vision leads the way to greatness
(especially if you write it down!)”
Ari Weinzweig –
Founding partner of Zingerman's Community Businesses.

3. What is a Vision:
1. How your business relates to customers
2. What your business does
3. Why it’s special
4. At a particular point in the future.

4. How do you keep your Vision from not changing? You
really think you have a crystal ball, it's that clear?
- from a Business901 podcast
The question is, what's an organization I want to go to work
in, and that we all want to go to work in the year 2020? This
is the answer.
It's not a guess. It's not a prediction. It's what
you want. See, most of the world is trying to
figure out the right answer. We're just saying
this is our answer. If the question is, what is the
best way to make the most money? This is not
the answer.

5. Ari: That's the point. Yes. A vision comes from your
heart and your head. It's not from the outside in.
The vision is where you're going, and the planning
is how you get to the vision. So there's a lot of
people doing planning, but they don't do a vision.
- from a Business901 podcast
You open up your heart and this is really who I want to be.

6. Root Cause of Success

7. Golden Circle
What
How
Why
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

8. People don't buy WHAT you do,
they buy WHY you do it.
Simon Sinek

9. People don't buy WHAT you do,
they buy WHY you do it.
Creative Zen told us 5GB mp3 player,
Apple told us 1,000 songs in your pocket
I don’t want to a coffee maker
I need to wake up with a little help from a cup of coffee.
I don’t want a car or public transportation
I want to get home to my wife and children.

10. 1. Every single company and organization on the planet
knows WHAT they do.
2. This is true no matter how big or small, no matter what
industry.
3. Everyone is easily able to describe the products or services
a company sells or the job function they have within that
system.
4. WHATs are easy to identify.
Consistency of What = Authenticity

11. Discipline of How
the processes within an organization and the culture
1. Some companies know HOW they do WHAT they do.
2. Call them a "differentiating value proposition,“ "proprietary
process" or "unique selling proposition,"
3. HOWs are often given to explain how something is different
or better.
4. Not as obvious as WHATs, many think these are the
differentiating or motivating factors in a decision.

12. To Inspire starts
with the Clarity of Why
1. Very few people or companies can clearly articulate..
WHY they do WHAT they do.
2. Not to make money— that's a result.
3. WHY = What is your purpose, cause or belief?
WHY does your company exist?
WHY do you get out of bed every morning?
WHY should anyone care?

13. Bad tells us what they want us to think they think.
Good exactly what a company really thinks.
Bad targets.
Good seduces.
Bad always mentions price.
Good never mentions price.
Bad tells stories about products.
Good uses the products to help tell a story.
Bad versus good Marketing
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

14. Bad is about them.
Good is about us.
Bad drives transactions.
Good drives loyalty.
Bad values promotions.
Good promotes values.
Bad manipulates.
Good inspires.
Bad versus good Marketing
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

15. Inspired Companies and Leaders
Every single one of them, regardless of their size or their industry,
Thinks
Acts
Communicates

16. from the
inside out
The Why

17. Why
How
What