Ken Blanchard’s personal vision framework
Ken Blanchard is a big believer in the power of the vision to activate and align members of an organization. He also believes that vision is important for individuals in their personal lives. In this video (which is a bit heavy on the Christian) he offers a framework for developing a personal vision. He says:
What is your own personal vision? Who do you want to really be in the world?
There are three parts of a compelling vision.
- Purpose. What is your purpose in life? If you were a business, what business would you be in? Three aspects to this:
- Come up with two to three nouns that describe aspects that are unique to you. Strengths of yours. Eg, for Ken, it’s: Teacher and Example.
- Come up with two to three verbs that say how you like to influence other people. Eg, for Ken, it’s: Help and Motivate.
- Come up with a statement that describes what you’re gonna do in the world. Eg, for Ken, it’s: “I want to be a loving teacher and example of simple truths that helps and motivates others to awaken to the presence of God in our lives.”
- Legacy. What is your picture of the future? What will happen if you live according to your purpose? How will people describe you? Exercise: write your own obituary. Story: Alfred Nobel had a brother who died, but the newspaper got it wrong and thought Alfred wrong, so he got to read his own obituary. They described him as a merchant of death. He was devastated. So he set out to change his obituary. What’s the opposite of death? Peace.
- Values. What are the values that are going to guide your journey? Come up with values in these three categories:
- Spiritual. Eg, for Ken: Peace.
- Relationship. Eg, for Ken: Love and Integrity.
- Self. What are you doing for yourself. Eg, for Ken: Learning.