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Are you boring or engaging?

When I gather with a group of nonprofit leaders and ask them to introduce themselves, I hear one person after another talk about the work they do. They use jargon, insider-speak, buzz words. They talk about the boss, a challenge they are facing, and find a variety of ways to describe their day-to-day work.

My reaction? Like everyone else, I’m confused and bored.

What would I like to hear?

I want to know your dream for a better world. I want to hear something I can understand and relate to. I want to hear your passion for the work, that’s contagious. Your introduction is the beginning of our relationship. Your words should make me curious; they should pique my interest.

Let’s explore how to do just that.

A Vision-focused approach

Keep in mind your goal: to get people to be curious and responsive. You’ll do that by starting with vision!

Vision is the big dream that inspires others. Your organization’s Vision is that big, bold dream of a better world. The simple statement gives you and everyone in your organization a clear view of the big picture. Examples like, Oxfam: A just world without poverty and Toronto Zoo A world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive, clearly communicate a dream.

A Vision statement for your organization has value:

  1. It is your guiding light, continually inspiring your work;
  2. It helps you and your organization set priorities and choose programs and services that are aligned with it;
  3. And, it acts as a safeguard and measurement, keeping everyone on track towards common goals.

Taking it a step further, your Vision Message, the personalization of your organization’s Vision:

  • Reflects your feelings and your personal motivation;
  • Is the start of a conversation, it works like a magnet to attract interest and curiosity;
  • Conversation leads to the connections you will need for ongoing, continued growth and development.

Your Vision Message is your own personal version of the Vision. It is how you express your purpose. It’s a short story about why you do what you do. It is emotional and engaging. It naturally appeals to listeners.

Your Vision Message is not a branding slogan. You do not have to look for clever wording or an advertising headline. You are looking for a few words to express the dream that makes your organization important to your community and to you personally.

Practice being engaging. Share your dream for a better world. I’d love to hear it!

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Start small, dream big

It’s time again to think about how we gather. We’ve gotten so used to virtual meetings, we may have forgotten the joy of being in a room together.

But, no matter how you are doing it, great meetings are the place to turn dreams into reality!

Let’s explore the power of coming together with purpose and Vision.

Convening may be as familiar as a small group gathering to address an issue or make a plan. But it can be the start of something large and impactful.

Start every meeting with Vision.

Imagine your Vision – the dream your organization has for the future – as the underlying theme of every meeting or event you hold. Consider the possibilities:

  1. You regularly renew your commitment to the dream
  2. You start each meeting on common ground
  3. You have a shared point of reference, including the stories you’ve collected about your pursuit of your Vision
  4. You have a guiding principle that impacts all decisions
  5. You can reject what does not fit and might divert you from your course of action
  6. You are able to measure progress toward your Vision

Every time you convene you have the opportunity to move closer to your Vision and to bring others with you.

Your Vision is a dream, and you have the opportunity to reach for that dream by gathering the right people, who share your Vision, and together setting out a plan to reach toward that dream.

This is why we convene and why we set goals: to make dreams a reality. Convening is the action required to move forward and make something happen. Without it you are simply hoping for change.