Stop calling your plan a vision
The art of connecting purpose with execution
If you’ve written or read several sentences that sound nice but don’t move anyone to act, you don’t have a vision. You have a plan. A plan is a roadmap: it states what to do, when, and by whom. (By the way, you can apply this to teams, but also to yourself)
A vision is something else entirely: it’s a story of the future we want to create, capable of inspiring, guiding difficult decisions, and channeling everyone’s energy toward a common purpose. In essence, it’s the bridge between purpose and execution. So, do you have a vision or a plan?
Some teams fall into the trap of calling a set of objectives, dates, or tasks a “vision.”
A vision is imaginative yet plausible, elevated yet unbound, and projected several years ahead. And to build that vision, you don’t need to be a poet—you need to understand how to craft a story:
Start with the why: The first step to building a vision is to answer honestly: Why are we doing this? The purpose is the emotional anchor that connects with people and gives meaning to decisions.
Make the future visible: Visualize the problem and present a solution as if it already existed, in the present tense.
Choose a protagonist: A person or group with their goals, limitations, and context.
Define the impact: Show how that vision will change the lives of those protagonists, users, or society.
In the end, a vision is not a declaration; it’s a direction that guides both the operational and emotional sides. It’s an answer to how we will change, transform, or improve the lives of users or society—fueling faster decisions and sustaining ambition over time. From there, every delivery should bring real value to the users’ journey. That’s when the narrative turns into results.
So… what’s your vision? Or better yet… what’s your purpose?