day 1164: Vision Casting

"Where there is no vision, the people perish.." 

Everyone likes vision casters.  These are the people who seem to be able to see around the corner and create a vision of what the rest of us can't yet see.  Investors especially love vision from CEO and Founders.  Those analysts who represent investors sometimes though have the least vision, so they are even more enamored with those who lean forward into the future.  This is the problem the Apple has right now.  The analysts think that Apple has lost their vision.  Have they though?  Analysts are asking questions like, "Is it search?", "Is it voice?"  But, what do we know?  One can't ask a question about what a vision is because a vision, again, is something that the rest of us can't yet see.  Prior to the launch of the iPod, Steve Jobs played the guessing game with me and asked me what I thought could change the world, would fit in my pocket, but wasn't a a phone or a camera.  At that time, the last thing I was going to come up with was another mp3 player.  But, he had a vision and that is why other others followed.  If we aren't constantly trying to create a vision for our employees, our customers, our consumers and our shareholders, then we run the risk of losing their attention and worse yet the curiosity of their imagination.

We know that God has a vision for us and how eternity will play itself out.  He created this for us so we don't have to create one on our own.  In fact, when we try to do so we run counter to what He desires for us.  Each and every day we have the opportunity to follow and work into His vision.  That vision is clearly spelled out for us in His Word and if we just begin to inquire into the Bible for how we fit into that vision much will be opened up for us to explore.  We can get so caught up with what is right in front of us that we lose sight of the bigger picture.  Today as we close off this work week let's not take this day as just any other Friday, but instead ask God what He has in store for us and ask Him to reveal His vision today. It might just end up being a remarkable Friday (not to mention the longest day of the year)!

Reference: Proverbs 29:18 (New Living Translation) 

day 486: Vision

Somewhere along the way in our work lives we will engage in an exercise that asks us, and likely a group of our co-workers, to think about the vision of our company. It may be that we are told what the vision statement is, or we may find ourselves right smack in the middle of defining and writing the vision for the organization. Regardless, the vision of the company or organization is part and parcel to how a business runs. Without a vision of where we are going, how would we know when we get there? What is hard for many people is to see a vision and embrace it with full emotion and commitment. Either the vision seems too lofty and unattainable or the vision is something that we tried a long time ago and its just a bunch of new people at the top restating what we already knew. It's easy to be a "vision cynic". But, to survive, thrive and grow there must be a well stated and well understood vision that everyone buys into and everyone supports. The best visions of the future are those that are clear enough that they make us decide on whether this is the best company or place for us, or not. Visions that force us to evaluate and recommit to going where the company wants us to go are the ones that are most inspiring and compelling. Still, it takes something down deep in all of us to really commit and sign up. As believers, we know that our faith should never placed in those things that are here on earth but rather on the things that are of God. That said though, we can look at the faith of those who came before us and learn lessons on how to act and conduct ourselves in this world that we now live. In Hebrews Chapter 11, many times referred to the "Hall of Faith" chapter, we read the accounts of many of the most faithful people of the Bible. The lesson I take from this chapter is that each of the people of faith described, once committed, never wavered and never faltered in following the vision that was put in front of them. If these people could be like this, then so can we. We may not be asked by God to do something extraordinary like Noah, Abraham or Moses, but we are called upon daily to put our faith in God and to believe that the work we are given here on earth to do is to bring glory to Him. We are just like these other men when we read in Hebrews 11:13; "...but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God." They had vision. We can have our own vision in looking ahead to the promises of God for what can happen when live and work according to His will and glory.

Reference: Hebrews 11:13 (New Living Testament)