Three is the magic number

Whether you’re looking to dip your toe in with a masterclass or go all out with a full business transformation, there are three key stages that will get you on the road to futureproofing your business:

Stage 1

Vision & Values: Who are you and what do you want?

Your organisation’s goals, vision and values are not just slogans on a wall or phrases in a slide deck (a.k.a PowerPoint), they are a vital compass for every decision you make.

Without fully understanding who you are and what you want, your organisation risks drifting, reacting to circumstances rather than leading them.

Like wanging in any old AI without understanding what you’re going to use it for and how it’s going to positively and negatively affect everything it touches.

When clearly defined, your goals, vision and values will underpin your strategy, shaping the way you develop your business and helping you make decisions that propel you to where you want to be.

They’ll also guide employee behaviour, and demonstrate clearly to clients and partners what you truly stand for.

Companies with a strong, authentic set of values are more likely to retain talent, attract loyal customers, and make consistent decisions, even under pressure.

There are a few ways to go about this stage but, while there’s definitely an argument for getting all of your people involved at this point (especially if you are a very small company), in my experience this stage needs to be kept to senior management and top execs. At least for now.

Clear your vision

As the world changes, so must a company’s vision for itself. What an organisation set out to be or achieve in its early days might no longer fit in today’s market.

What is it that your organisation aims to do?

State your values

Values, on the other hand, can and should be somewhat set in stone. Your core principles will remain the same even as the world around them shifts; as our understanding of ourselves as a society progresses, how we respond to these changes should be in line with what we believe and want to put out into the world.

How do you want your organisation to conduct itself?

Underpin your strategy

Understanding where your vision and values are already in alignment with your day-to-day practices and being able to clearly see where there are gaps (and what those gaps are) is key to developing a realistic strategy for development and growth.

Part of that strategy will be to align or realign your organisation with your vision and values and fill in those gaps.

With this in hand, you can start to build your roadmap to the future.  

Knowing who you are and what you want puts guardrails on the path you are on, helping you stay within your stated boundaries and focus on what’s important to your organisation, without getting sidetracked.

Find out more

• Book a half day masterclass for you and your senior management team
• Enquire about the Foundations First thorough operational audit
• Grab 20 minutes or so for a quick, free chat

Get in touch today