How to Create a Vision Board
There are many techniques for Visioning. They include: visualization, guided imagery, meditation, brainstorming, journaling and modeling.
One popular technique is to create a Vision Board -- a collage of images that helps shape and mold your idea into being.
Robin Cook, PR Lady, owns a marketing firm that provides consulting services to businesses in the areas of advertising, brand identity, communications graphic and logo design, and public relations.
In this interview, she describes her experience with creating a Vision Board.
Robin is a Make Mine a Million $ Finalist.
For an image of Robin's Vision Board, follow the "Use this Resource" link below.
Q: How did you decide to do a Vision Board? Tell us, what is it and where did the idea come from?
The idea for putting together a Vision Board -- or collage of visual images representing my vision for my company -- started as an exercise in a CEO Mentoring class that I was taking. But it's turned into this tremendous opportunity and opened up possibilities beyond what I originally expected.
The Vision Board has helped me focus in on what I want to achieve, and how. And it also is useful in communicating my vision to others. It really allows me to tell a story that says: this is where we are today, and this is how we got here, and this is what our future holds. I can easily tell people, with the help of these images, what we're aiming to achieve, and how we're going to accomplish and sustain that.
Because we're a marketing firm, I was able to use graphic design capability and make it look nice. But it's not what it looks like that's important. It is the intent and the concept behind your Vision Board that counts. You need to know what it means for yourself.
Q: Tell us about the process you used to create your Vision Board.
Before I put together a visual representation, I first sat down with a pen and paper and examined my goals for the next two to five years. And I got very specific about what that meant. So, for example, one of my goals was to improve my leadership ability. So I had to articulate specific steps to becoming a better leader, which included surrounding myself with better people. I not only looked at leadership with regard to my team, but also how I could be a better a leader when it came to my financials; to product development; to moving the company forward in general.
So I wrote down my goals and came up with action steps and specific deadlines for achieving them. Once I had a one-page summary, I then searched for images that would help inspire me and remind me of what I was trying to achieve.
Now, I have to say that some people started the other way -- they started with images, then drilled down to the details. They were so visionary, they had a personal vision, then did a separate Vision Board for their business. Some people had very elaborate Vision Boards -- or more cluttered Vision Boards, depending on how you look at it.
If you're extremely visionary, you may have difficulty getting beyond the images and down to the tactical level. But that's an important part of the Vision Board process; making it tangible and specific, not just visionary and inspirational.
There probably are many ways to go about it, but are some steps to follow:
1. Write down your goals and objectives.
2. Find images or quotes or other inspirational items that connect you to those goals. You can cut out pictures from magazines or draw or paint or photograph your own images.
3. Organize and affix them to a board (could be cardboard or poster board).
4. Place the board in a prominent place that you can see.
5. Look at it on a daily basis and reconnect to your vision, using the images to help you get tangible about implementing your plans.
You may also find it helpful, as I have, to share the Vision Board with family and friends and team members. Sharing your story with them helps strengthen your overall ability to articulate your vision.
Q: Now that you have a Vision Board, how do you use it in an ongoing way?
Well, I've already mentioned that it is a useful communication tool that I use with my team, my family and with others who are interested in supporting my vision. It has turned out to be a practical and tangible approach to visioning -- something that required an investment of both time and money, but I consider it to be well worth it.
The Vision Board is one thing that has impressed my staff and new job candidates. Yes, it contains some personal information, so it's a little risky to put myself and my vision out there on view. But I find that people really respond to it, and the positive impact I'm getting is worth it.
Beyond using it as a communication tool, you can also use the Vision Board on a practical level. In my day to day office, I keep a copy of it on my wall. I have a larger version of it on my wall in my home office, and I look at it daily. Every month and every quarter, I take time to review my goals and match them up with the progress I'm making.
So, going back to the leadership example, I knew that one of the things I needed to do is build my team. That meant that in Quarter 2, I should add at least one more person. In order to accomplish that, I had to create a job description, start a recruitment process and schedule interviews. So I mapped out and sequenced those tasks. And we hired somebody. Your vision is not going to happen just because you envision it, but having goals gives you a starting place from which to develop tasks and timelines.
And my Vision Board is a reality check to see where I am with my goals and objectives. It also helps me prioritize and filter out activities that don't directly lead me to where I want to be.
Q: Going forward, how to you expect to keep your Vision Board up to date?
First of all, as you accomplish goals, you have to celebrate successes. My business is planned out for the next 2-5 years, and I know where I am today. If I accomplish any piece of my puzzle, then that's a success worth celebrating.
Of course, there has to be a way for you to move on. Next year I'll probably put together a new vision board -- some items will be the same, and some will be changed because priorities change or maybe new possibilities have come to light.
You always need to be open to new opportunities -- industries and marketplace dynamics change. And creative solutions may appear. For example, I've never had a goal to partner, but if the right opportunity came along, I might consider it. After all, maybe I could reduce my work hours by partnering. Freeing up time for my family is definitely one of my goals. So, maybe partnering might be a way to achieve that. It means I have to keep an open mind.
Q: What advice would you offer other women business owners who may be considering using a Vision Board as part of their approach to visioning?
Even though you have a vision, and you may have locked on to images in a Vision Board that represent that vision, you have to be flexible because opportunities present themselves that you haven't even thought of.
Secondly, make sure your goals and objectives are measurable. It's not enough to say, "I want to grow my business." It takes more than just a dream; you have to bring that dream into reality by being specific and focused.
Lastly, don't dream too small or too safe. Reach for the stars and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Stretch your goals and put a plan in place to achieve them.
The Vision Board Robin created can be found below.
Disclaimer: This resource is not affiliated with Count Me In. Count Me In cannot confirm the quality or reliability of the information presented.
