Vision-Driven Leaders are principals and marketing leaders who share their vision for the future and what the firm can become and how best to accomplish that. This month we are starting off the year with rose-colored glasses. The winter doldrums are behind us and spring is around the corner. Now is the time to get everyone excited and motivated about what can be achieved this year with your strategic plan and their role in it.

How do you do that? We suggest you engage every person in your firm, whether that is gathering your multiple offices through a Zoom or Teams call or with the staff you have in your main office, to present the year’s plan and get everyone on board. It doesn’t have to be a long, boring meeting—think fun, engaging, playful—use the culture of your firm to remind each person of their importance to the success of the company. 

Here are three ideas you can use to carry this out:

1) First 10 minutes: Use the most motivational person on the leadership team to rev up your staff. Consider something that will engage and maybe even entertain them whether that is a pep talk, a song, or even a skit. It’s going to be an exciting year and we want them to feel that energy. Talk about the successes from your previous year and how their contribution helped the firm to be where it’s at today.

2) 40 minutes: Roll out your firm’s new (or updated from last year) strategic plan discussing how each of the roles in the firm are key to its success. Don’t focus on individuals unless they have a very specific function in it, but help each category of staff – senior technical staff, junior technical staff, marketing staff, administrative staff, leadership team, etc.—see their contribution to it as a group. Help them to feel their responsibility for its success and don’t forget to allow for some important Q&A time.

3) Last 10 minutes: Finish strong and on a high note! Get that motivational leader back up front to help everyone leave the room excited. What will motivate your group? Being rewarded for their success in whatever way you have that set up for your company. If the company does better, they should do better, so leave them with a personalization of how the success of this plan will benefit them personally—perhaps through more exciting and challenging projects, financially, or possible promotions as the firm grows. Let everyone know the sky’s the limit!