This past week, I was in Fort Myers, FL leading an Executive Strategy Retreat for a wonderful family-owned Home Care company. We spent a full day using the storyboarding technique from the Walt Disney organization to stimulate creativity, make ideas visible, and craft a five-year vision for the company. We then dug into detail as we defined how the company will create distinction in their local marketplace, and we crafted the core values that define their company culture.
Whenever I think about Vision, and about storyboarding, I can’t help but flash back to a life-changing moment that happened 35 years ago. It was a gorgeous Saturday morning in January of 1991. I was in the office of my new friend and professional speaking colleague, Elizabeth Jeffries, RN, CSP, CPAE. Elizabeth and I had met at the National Speakers Association convention the previous summer. I was working with a hospital system in Louisville at the time, so I said to her, “Hey, I’ll be in Louisville in a few weeks. Let’s have lunch.”
She reluctantly agreed, and we ended up having a lite dinner one evening following an Executive Strategy Retreat that I was leading for the hospital system. We enjoyed getting to know one another over a meal, and agreed to meet again in a few weeks when I was back in town. That next meeting turned into a “date”, and we began seeing each other and talking regularly.
Fast forward to the following January. Elizabeth had asked me of I would help her refocus her speaking business, and I said of course, I would be happy to. We agreed to meet in her office on a Saturday morning. I put up a storyboard, got some index cards and push pins and began with a question:
“If you could waive your magic wand and make your business anything you want, what would your business look like ten years from now?”
I wrote “Elizabeth’s Future Vision 2000” on a card and pinned it to the top of the storyboard. For the next hour, she talked about what she wanted her business to look like in ten years. As she talked, I wrote on the cards and pinned them on the board. Over time, her conversation moved from “what do you want you business to look like?” to “What do you want your life to look like?” She painted the whole picture in words and I captured them on the Storyboard.
Then it got Really Weird
After about an hour and a half, we sat back and looked at the Vision Storyboard that we had created for Elizabeth’s business and her life. Then the situation got weird. I looked at the board, and I looked at Elizabeth and said, “You know, Elizabeth. If we took your name down, and put my name up at the top of this storyboard, the vision would be the same.”
She smiled, and maybe blushed a little bit. It was clear we really liked each other … a lot!
Then it got REALLY weird. I went over, knelt down beside her office chair and said, “Elizabeth Nardi Jeffries, will you marry me?”
She was speechless. First and only time I ever remember her being speechless.
After two minutes of silence, she looked at me and said, “Yes!”
We just celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary, and our 29th year as business partners.
It’s amazing what can happen when you share a common vision.
What Happens when you have a shared vision with your Home Care Team?
We’ve applied the principle of the power of shared vision with thousands of Home Care companies over the past 25 years. First by leading Executive Strategy Retreats for Home Care leaders and their teams. And second, by speaking at Home Care association conferences and corporate meetings on “Lessons from the Mega Companies.” This is a presentation based on seven lessons learned over 12 years working with the Top 5% Mastermind Group at the Home Care CEO Forum.
The Number 1 lesson is, “Mega Company Leaders have A Huge Vision.”
Even early in the growth of their businesses, they see themselves running a large company, and they see themselves achieving success and significance by serving large numbers of caregivers, employing large numbers of caregiver, and making a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
What is your vision for the future of your company in five years?
Have you shared your vision with your team members?
Have you engaged your team members in implementing action plans to make your vision become reality?
It Helps to have an Outside Facilitator
One of the things I’ve learned over the decades I’ve been working in Home Care is that it is difficult to lead your own visioning and strategy session. It’s much more effective and productive to bring in an experienced facilitator to lead the process so you can engage in the discussions with your team.
If you would like to consider having a visioning and strategy session with your leadership team, let’s set up a time to talk. No obligation. Just a conversation about the process, and whether or not I might be a good fit for you and your team.
My promise to you is, if you can get all of your leaders in the same room, I’ll help you get them all on the same page.
