In fact, building a shared vision and effectively communicating it throughout an organisation is one of the key challenges that business owners face - especially in a remote working environment.

This is showcased by findings from the Communication Statistics Report 2023 by Project. Co, which reported that only 14% of workers communicate with their team through phone calls or face-to-face meetings and 68% reported that they feel they have personally wasted time due to communication issues in their business. Yet, research by Northstar leadership training revealed 85% of employees stated that they feel most motivated when they are kept up to date on business news and information, but 72% of employees confirmed they are unaware of their organisation’s business strategies and objectives.

Communicating a business's objectives and facilitating a shared vision is imperative for not only achieving business goals and priorities but also for fostering a sense of belonging and accountability amongst the team.  However, achieving this shared vision can be complex, especially in businesses with 3 to 50 employees that all operate on a remote or hybrid working basis. 

With the pace of change in life and business accelerating rapidly, it has become even more crucial to take frequent pauses, reflect, and reset more often, instead of just doing it annually.

In this article, we will discuss the challenges of creating a shared vision and explore the benefits of using the Smart90 approach from the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System.

Challenges in creating a shared vision

The main challenges business owners face in creating a shared vision are:

• Lack of clarity: Often, business owners struggle to articulate a clear vision that resonates with their team. A vague or ambiguous vision can lead to confusion and misalignment among employees.
• Communication breakdown: Even if a vision is well-defined, ineffective communication can hinder its adoption. Miscommunication or a lack of communication can lead to employees feeling disconnected from the company's goals.
• Reactive priorities: Without a structured planning process, businesses may find themselves constantly reacting to immediate issues rather than proactively working toward their long-term vision.

Smart90

Smart90 is a simple framework designed to address these challenges and facilitate the creation and communication of a shared vision. It is particularly effective for small to mid-sized businesses and can be personalized for each team member, with key benefits as follows:

• Alignment and Accountability: The Smart90 plan ensures that every team member identifies their own ‘rocks’ and actions that align with the company's priorities for the quarter. This approach fosters alignment and accountability throughout the organisation.
• Forward Thinking: Instead of solely focusing on recent events, the Smart90® plan encourages businesses to combine current and forward thinking. It leverages the expertise of the senior leadership team to work on challenges, develop clarity, and align priorities.

Key elements of a 90-day plan

To effectively implement Smart90, businesses should consider key elements in their 90-day planning process, which ideally include:

• Review of last quarter's performance: Start by evaluating how the business performed against the previous quarter's priorities. Identify what went well, what needs improvement, and any internal or external risks.
• Stop, start, continue: Encourage discussions on what the company should stop, start, or continue doing. This prompts critical thinking about current practices and their impact.
• Progress check: Assess whether the business is on track with its focus and strategic goals. Ensure the core product or service aligns with the Smart Stretch Goal and is scalable.
• Value proposition: Define the key elements of your value proposition. Determine what sets your business apart from competitors and how you can deliver on your brand promise.
• Communication of goals: Review the Smart Stretch Goal, 3-year and 1-year goals, thrusts, and critical paths. Ensure that these are well-communicated to all senior managers and align with the company's direction.
• Leadership team alignment: Confirm that the leadership team can articulate the 3-year thrusts, 4-9 critical paths, value drivers, and priorities for the current quarter.
• Culture and core ideology: Assess the team culture, strengths, and areas for improvement. Focus on actively living your core values and core purpose and consider how they can be integrated into daily operations.

Final thoughts

Creating and communicating a shared vision within a business is essential for its long-term success. The Smart90® plan from the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System offers a structured approach to address challenges and align your team with the company's goals. By using this framework and implementing a comprehensive 90-day planning process, businesses can foster a culture of alignment, accountability, and continuous improvement, ultimately propelling them towards their vision.

The Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System [ESUS] derived from BizSmart’s findings that only 4% of businesses scale beyond 10 employees and less than 1% beyond 50. Recently featured as a finalist in the internationally renowned Goody Business Book Awards 2023, ESUS has been positively impacting business leaders and entrepreneurs by providing actionable advice to help them on their scaleup journey to success.