A research study at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business asked 170 senior managers to identify the 20 most visionary companies in America. If a dollar had been "invested" in each of these firms in the mid 1920s, (or held with interest until the company came into being later on), by the mid 1990s, the visionary firms would, on average, have outperformed Wall Street by a factor of 50:1.

Vision works. It worked for the 20 companies in the Stanford study, and this workshop will show how to make it work for other companies as well.

This powerful workshop is designed to help executives create a clear vision of the future so they can take their organizations to a significantly higher level of competitive success. Participants will learn the strategic thinking and operational planning that go into creating distinctive capabilities. Participants will learn to cut through the mystery of "capabilities" and discover practical approaches that have worked for others in the past.

Asking the right questions.

A clear and empowering vision centers on clarity about these three essential components:
- a company's long-term purpose,
- its operating philosophy, and
- its short-term performance goals and priorities.

To clarify these vision components, anyone setting out on the journey to the future should ask and answer the following nine critical questions:

Reaching agreement about the company's long term purpose

• What business should the company be in three to five years from now?
• WhatÍs the purpose of this business?
• What strategies will help the company fulfill its purpose?

Creating a guiding philosophy

• What key employee behaviors are required for success in pursuing these strategies?
• What guiding principles will support these behaviors?
• Based on management's past experience, what guidelines should govern how the organization is structured in the future?

Defining the mission

• How good does the company aspire to be?
• What performance goals will it pursue?
• How will the company be organized to achieve these goals?

Bringing it all together.

If you can't imagine the future, you can't possibly create it. And if you can't create it, you probably won't be around to enjoy it. To go faster later on, it's necessary to go slower to build clarity about the company's vision of success in the beginning. This half-day program examines the components of a clear vision and the nine critical questions that lead to its understanding. Answering these questions about purpose, guiding principles and performance goals encourages the fresh perception needed to picture the future in a conscious, comprehensive, collaborative and forward-looking way. When all of these elements are in place, the stage is set to engage employees at all levels in working together to pursue a common vision of success.