How Financial Advisors Build a Powerful Vision Narrative

Fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put forth his vision for the future, with his “I Have a Dream” speech. Regarded as the top political speech of the 20^th Century, Dr. King’s hope and expectation included a nation that will “live out the meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal,” and that “my four children will one day not he judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

As a prescient example of a corporate vision, Apple Computer produced several concept videos (in 1988!...22 years before the iPad’s roll-out) showcasing a tablet style computer with numerous advanced capabilities, including an excellent text-to-speech system with no hint of "computerese", a gesture based interface resembling the multitouch interface later used on the iPhone and an equally powerful speech understanding system, allowing the user to converse with the system via an animated, bow-tied "butler" as the software agent. See one of these YouTube videos here.

In 2011, Corning shows us their glimpse into the future, with “A Day Made of Glass” where they envision a spectacular interactive world.

In Dr. King’s case, he puts forth his overarching and aspirational vision for America. With the example of Apple and Corning, they envision a future from a client’s perspective. Both are examples of a vision narrative. Vision narratives aren’t just about polishing a vague mission statement. They are about constructing a detailed story of future success that serves as a compass that can be shared throughout an organization and with all stakeholders, as well as a signpost that benchmarks future progress towards this vision.

For financial advisors, the vision narrative is NOT about revenues, production, or earnings. It is ALL about your passion, your values, and what will lead you forward to provide a sense of purpose that transcends the economic targets that are, ultimately, non-sustaining.

For you and your team, the vision provides direction and inspires you forward. When shared with your clients, it shapes their understanding of why they should work with you.