Vision Without Action Is A Daydream, Action Without Vision Is A Nightmare

Its 2:20pm on Tuesday afternoon at the Kingfisher and the participants in the Retreat have completed all the workshops and have taken a bag lunch and are off on an Eco Tour with Comox Valley Adventure Tours.

Laura had another fabulous lunch at the Kingfisher Dining Room and asked to take a look at the Retreat Room which we plan to use for the 2007 Retreat Event that we are planning for our clients.

Can you image the Vision that you will be able to create for 2010 and beyond from this view?

The Retreat participants were very engaged over the past few days and one of the ah-has that they received was an enhancement to their existing work on vision and mission – in essence, there were some not so visible circumstances that could have taken their plans off course in the years to come.

This got me to thinking about doing a mini-survey over the internet of financial services firms that have their vision, purpose and mission posted on their web site – and believe me it is a mini-survey as I want to take the afternoon to relax.

Of the 10 financial services firms that I looked at this is what I found;

0 # that had their vision, purpose and mission posted on their web site
2 # that had their philosophy posted on their web site
1 # that had their core beliefs posted on their web site

Sad.

Here is why.

Vision
What YOU SEE as possible for others, the world.

Purpose
Why you are here. What you are here TO BE.

Mission
What you are here TO DO. Your specific actions, task or goals to realize your vision and Purpose.

Do you see the distinction between the three terms?
Vision is about what you see as possible.
Purpose is how you are going to be, to further that possibility.
Mission is what you are going to do, to make that vision happen.

Your business cannot be about meeting your needs.

Your business must be about adding value.

Here are some quotes on vision;

“Creation begins with vision.” ~ Henri Matisse

Our vision is beclouded and the pathway of our progress is obstructed until we come to know that god can and does express as Good in every person and every situation. ~ Ernest Holmes

The essence of leadership is vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet. ~ Theodore Hesburgh

Do you wish to see clearly and be free? ~ Bassui Zenji

You can’t see the world through a mirror. ~ Avril Lavigne

Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible. ~ Frank Gaines

Whatever is going on is just a reflection of ourselves back to us, so that we can see ourselves more clearly. ~ Arnold Datent

The engineering is secondary to the vision. ~ Cynthia Ozick

The best vision is insight. ~ Malcolm S. Forbes, IBD, 6/10/04

Vision without action is a daydream, Action without vision is a nightmare. ~ Japanese Proverb

Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision. ~ Hsi Tang

In a dark time, the eye begins to see. ~ Theodore Roethke