5 Bold Steps Vision® Canvas

Introduction

If you want to make positive, future-oriented change in your organization you’ll need to go beyond writing long-winded paper visions and come to a shared agreement about what you are going to fight for together, and what steps you are going to take to get “there.” The 5 bold steps canvas is a perfect tool to align your teams in your organization. The 5 Bold Steps Vision® Canvas was created by David Sibbet, of the Grove International.

Overview

Time± 90 minutes
Difficulty5 / 5
People3 - 15
AuthorThe Grove
Copyright© The Grove
canvas

How To Use the 5 Bold Steps Vision® Canvas

The vision canvas will help you co-design the vision as well as the 5 bold steps to achieve that vision. Additionally, using this tool, your team will be able to clarify what supports your vision, what challenges your vision, and what opportunities are created in working toward your vision. Best of all, the vision canvas will help you derive design criteria for your business model(s) and strategy.

A vision statement is sometimes called a picture of your company in the future. But it’s so much more than that. Your vision statement is your inspiration, the framework for all your strategic planning. When creating your initial vision statement you are essentially articulating your dreams for your business. This should stand as a reminder of what you’re trying to accomplish together. It may apply to your entire company or to a single division of the company. Whether for all or part of an organization, the vision statement answers the question, “Where do we want to go?”

Probably the greatest aspect of the vision canvas is that your entire vision, including actions, supports, opportunities, and challenges, will be on one sheet of paper – not a book! It’s simple to share and easy to translate into concrete guidelines that decision makers (and executors) need to get their jobs done. Even better, creating a visualization of the vision, based on this canvas, will help you spread the word.

Regardless of the approach you choose to compose your vision, you’ll need to involve the right people. This includes the decision makers as well as everybody else! A vision without actions or ambassadors to carry the message forward is worth no more than the paper it’s printed on, no matter how well crafted.

Tool Overview

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  1. Vision Statement What is the future state of our company? How are we going to help our customers?

  2. Essential Themes What are the essential themes supporting our vision? Describe them in 1 or 2 single words.

  3. How it shows up How will the themes show up in our company? How will they make the vision themes concrete and how will they inspire others?

  4. Supports What are the supports that enable us to reach our future?

  5. Challenges What are the challenges that hinder us from reaching our future?

  6. 5 Bold Steps What are the 5 bold steps to take in order to achieve your vision?

  7. Key Values What are the crucial values that form the foundation for your vision and steps? How can we align those values?

Step-by-step guide

1 Before you start

Arrange for a comfortable environment. Surely not a meeting room.

Have a discussion with the group about the year you're designing the story for as well as the magazine. In fact, the magazine in this case is very important. The group should discuss why one magazine over another. Write these on sticky notes!

Checklist

  • Arrange a relaxed, positive and private environment
  • Have markers (fine tip) and paper for everybody
  • Print or draw the canvas on a big sheet of paper
  • Have plenty of sticky notes and markers ready
  • Allow yourself 90 minutes of undisturbed time

2 Next Steps

A high-quality, practical, and inspiring vision for any organization should have three key characteristics: it needs to state where the company wants to be in the near future (2–5 years); it must contain a level of inspiration and excitement (the rallying cry); and it must detail the bold steps by which to achieve the vision.

Checklist

  • Check to see how this vision resonates with others
  • Incorporate the vision elements in the design criteria

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