Vision, strategy and planning in pictures
What does it all really mean, do you need it, and how can you make it fun, interesting and memorable?
Like many people at this time of year, I have found myself reflecting back on 2022 and thinking about what 2023 holds. I jumped on the January band-wagon of goal setting. I’ve set some resolutions and thought about what I’d like to achieve in the year ahead.
At the start of 2022, I explored my mission and my values and wrote them down (you can read about it here Emily, your mission, if you choose to accept it... and here My values, illustrated). I had lots of plans and projects, to draw and explore and to learn new things. It wasn’t a cohesive Plan, there wasn’t really a Strategy. I wrote huge lists of lots of tasks, but I didn’t write down any specific goals. It was a year of exploration, of doing lots of different things. A nebulous creative journey, flitting between different fun and exciting projects not on any particular path. I enjoyed 12 months of mostly full time illustration and artwork. At the end of it, I’d done lots that I’m really proud of and had an absolute blast.
At the start of 2023, my world is different. The mural projects and many of the business illustration projects have come to an end and I started an interim finance role in the NHS on Monday.
So I needed a direction and a Plan. Something that would allow me to move forward as an illustrator, alongside an employed role. So I spent time thinking about what I really wanted.
I put the words “Vision, Purpose, Aims and Strategy” at the top of a blank page, and I wrote my plan. It flowed out of my mind and onto the page.
With those four words and clarity on what I really wanted, It felt easy.
I’m excited.
But.
It looks dull, dull, dull.
And it got me thinking.
Does it matter how it looks? Because I wrote it and I feel it. Its personal and meaningful regardless of how it’s presented.
But will it still feel as exciting and memorable in a month, two months, a year from now if it stays in a somewhat boring Word document?
And what if it were more than a vision and strategy just for me? What if I needed it to speak to my audience so that they feel the words as powerfully as I do, so they want to connect with it and make it happen alongside me? How do I share it so that it resonates with them?
Having a clear vision and purpose; knowing what you’re aiming for and having a strategy to get there isn’t something just for big organisations though. It’s not just for people who have grand plans and ambitions. It’s for people with small and humble ideas too. Its for anyone who wants to move through their life more intentionally.
I’ve done lots of this kind of thing in the past, throughout my career working in finance and corporate roles.
And over the last few years, I’ve had opportunity to draw pictures that capture vision and purpose, strategy and objectives of organisations and teams.
Here are just a few.
Capturing those words it in a fun, bright, engaging and colourful way helps us to feel the words more powerfully, connect with it and make it more meaningful and memorable.
When I talk to clients about their plans, I can feel their passion and excitement. When I draw these illustrations, I can feel their vision, their values and purpose, their strategy and goals. And I know that their audience will feel it too.
What is your purpose and vision? What are you goals? Do they fill you with excitement and electricity? I hope that they do.
And because all the words (you know - vision, mission, strategy, plan, aims, goals, objectives, milestones etc etc etc.) can be a bit confusing, here’s how I’ve used them. If you prefer other explanations and interpretations, that’s fine. This is just my own way of understanding them, because most things are better when we keep them simple.
Vision – what are my hopes and dreams? How do I want things to be in the future. What do I want my life to look like, who do I want to be, what would I like to be doing, and where do I want to be in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years.
Purpose – why am I here? What is my motivation, how do I want to make a difference. What is my value, my impact, my legacy?
Aims – what is my direction? What tangible thing or things am I aiming for that will help me achieve my vision and fulfil my purpose?
Strategy – What route will I take? How will I get from where I am now, to where I want to be?
Objectives – What specific things will I achieve? What are the milestones along my route that will lead towards my aims, and when do I want to get there?
Tasks – What steps will I take? How will I achieve my objectives, what action do I need to take?
Values – the principles and beliefs that will guide my way.
You might not need all the words, maybe just one or two the help your thinking. I hope you find inspiration for your own plans for 2023, whether ambitious or humble or somewhere in-between.
I love to see my artwork out in the wild, so if you use any of the illustrations and would like to share them, tag me @thomkatpictures.
Bye for now,
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