Traction - Chapter 3 - The Vision Component

Chapter 3 of Traction, "The Vision Component," tackles a common issue for business leaders: everyone in the company needs to know exactly where the business is going and how it's going to get there. Gino Wickman's big question here is: Does your team see what you see? If they don't, you've got a problem.

The Vision Component is about making sure that every single person in your business understands your goals and aligns with them. When everyone knows what the company's purpose is, how it will grow, and what the plan is to get there, magic happens. People stop guessing, they pull in the same direction, and momentum builds.

8 Key Questions for a Clear Vision:

To help you clarify your vision, Wickman lays out 8 essential questions every business needs to answer:

1. What are your core values?
• What does your business stand for, and what principles guide your decisions?
2. What is your core focus?
• What's your "why"? Why do you exist, and what's your sweet spot in the market?
3. What is your 10-year target?
• Set a big, inspiring long-term goal. What does success look like a decade from now?
4. What is your marketing strategy?
• Who is your target audience, and what's your unique value proposition?
5. What is your 3-year picture?
• What do you want your business to look like in three years? Visualize it in detail.
6. What is your 1-year plan?
• What specific goals do you need to hit this year to move toward your 3-year picture?
7. What are your quarterly rocks?
• These are your top priorities for the next 90 days. What's most important right now?
8. What are your issues?
• Identify any challenges or obstacles that are preventing progress.

Creating the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO):

The answers to these questions get distilled into a simple, two-page document called the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO). This document becomes your roadmap, aligning everyone in the company around the same vision. It keeps your team focused on what matters, helps with decision-making, and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

Real-World Scenario:

Imagine you're the CEO of a growing tech startup. You have big dreams of being a major player in AI, but your team doesn't really see what you see. Your engineers are focused on refining your current product, marketing is targeting small businesses, and sales is chasing random leads. No one is aligned, and you're frustrated because progress feels sluggish.

Now, let's flip the script. You've taken the time to build your V/TO and communicated it to your entire team. You've made it clear that your core focus is on revolutionizing AI for healthcare, with a 10-year target of being the go-to provider for medical tech. Marketing is now speaking directly to hospitals and clinics. Your engineers are innovating AI solutions specifically for healthcare. Your sales team is laser-focused on large healthcare organizations.

Suddenly, everything clicks into place. Everyone knows where you're headed and how they fit into the plan. You've gone from chaos to cohesion, and your business is gaining traction faster than ever.

Why the Vision Component Matters:

If your team doesn't know your vision, it's like trying to win a football game without knowing where the end zone is. You may be working hard, but you're not necessarily heading in the right direction. By strengthening the Vision Component, you give your team a clear target. It's like turning on the GPS in your car-suddenly, the path is obvious, and you can focus on getting there.

You might be thinking, "I have a vision, but how do I get everyone else to see it?" That's exactly the point. Traction teaches you that a great vision isn't just something in your head-it's something that needs to be shared, simplified, and communicated regularly to everyone in your organization. You need to overcommunicate it.

Connecting with the Premise:

Think of your business as a ship, and you're the captain. You know where the ship is supposed to go, but if your crew doesn't, what happens? The helmsman turns left, the deckhands drop anchor, and the ship goes nowhere. Your crew needs the same map that you have.

The Vision Component gives you that map. It aligns everyone-no more guessing, no more working in different directions. When you have a clear vision, and everyone sees it, the business moves forward with purpose and momentum. And that's when you start getting real traction.

If you want your business to move faster, grow stronger, and hit its targets, make sure your vision is shared with every single person on your team. After all, how can anyone help you build your dream if they don't know what it looks like?