This section helps you prepare for the upcoming vision workshop.

Choosing participants

Some founder/CEOs choose to clarify their vision alone. This requires a bit of space, time, and distraction-free writing to create the vision. Some founder/CEOs chose to clarify their vision with their teams—they desire to bring co-founders, key team leaders, investors, customers and/or other stakeholders.

There’s no right or wrong answer, however, there are trade-offs.

• A solo experience may be fastest and clearest, relying on a single person to complete the exercise. The trade-off: Is it the “correct” vision? Will they prioritize it and actually get it done?
• A group experience may be slower, but it is more collaborative with various perspectives in the room. The trade-off: Do we have a clear way to disagree or decide, or will we fall into consensus?

This Guidebook is written as if you’ll have at least one additional individual co-creating the vision with you.

Setting aside time

We recommend at least one full day (about 6 hours) to undergo this experience with your stakeholders. This may take the form of one full day with breaks, or two half-day sessions, on consecutive days.

While there may be internal pressure or resistance to complete this exercise in less time, we recommend planning for more time than you think.

Daniel Kahneman, in Thinking Fast and Slow, defines two thinking styles. Called “System 1,” this style is unconscious, automatic, and effortless. It recognizes what already exists. Whereas, “System 2” thinking is more deliberate, conscious, and controlled. It seeks new information and makes decisions.

The design of this exercise is to slow down and engage our System 2 thinking to ideate and create a possible future for the company. Thus, give yourself and your team more time to thoughtfully create it.

Information to gather in advance