Julian Hutton on building a strategic vision

Julian K. Hutton, president, Merlin Hospitality Management
Julian K. Hutton, president, Merlin Hospitality Management

In any endeavor, before anything can be successful, the people involved need to know what it is they are trying to achieve and what efforts and resources are directed toward achieving it.
The company vision is the manifestation of its purpose and its values. From it emanates the strategy by which its goals will be attained, the leadership approach of its executives, the motivation for its members and the inspiration for its customers. A clear, well-thought-out, inspirational and easily communicated vision is the wellspring from which everything else flows.
And yet for the vast majority of companies, their vision is created in isolation by the marketing department and relegated to become mere corporate wallpaper in employee manuals and annual reports.
Even when it is well thought out and inspirational and communicated to employees and customers, all too often the direction of the company and the values demonstrated by its leadership are at odds with the company’s vision that it renders the vision meaningless. For the vision to resonate, company leaders must be seen working toward fulfilling it and genuinely conducting themselves in accordance with the stated ethics of the company.