Clearly defining every element of your business plan will ensure your practice’s success.

Imagine for a moment that you are watching six people in a room sitting at a large table. These people have been carefully chosen to complete a task. A lady, who we will call Ms Leeder, enters the room and, judging by the reaction of the six, she obviously commands respect. The six appear to be excited about the task ahead of them, although there is palpable tension in the air.

Ms Leeder proceeds to empty the contents of a 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle onto the table. The group begins to spread out the pieces in anticipation of putting this puzzle together. Ms Leeder gives them one instruction before leaving the room: Work hard, and stay focused. As she goes out the door, the six people realize that she has taken the box top with her. They look at each other asking the same question: "Did anyone see what the puzzle is supposed to look like when we’ve completed it?" None of them had seen it clearly, causing anxiety to build within the room. Two of the people thought that they had an idea of what it looked like. However, their ideas were not the same. After a while, one person says, "We can get started with the edges!"

The group begins to feel an initial sense of accomplishment, only to realize a short time later that they had done all they could do without more information. They begin to speculate what the puzzle could look like but think this lack of action is unacceptable. One person becomes discouraged and says, "Why should I be interested in finishing this puzzle?" The others quickly attempt to motivate that person to hang in there and not quit. The group realizes that if they could hire more people, then maybe they could piece the puzzle together more efficiently. This idea is challenged, because the other people would want to know what the puzzle looks like, too; and besides, Ms Leeder had to make that decision.

Frustration brews, and progress continues to be deterred. The effort is there even though the effectiveness is lacking.

Meanwhile, Ms Leeder is excited about the project’s progress and checks back in. She is surprised about how little has been completed, and she doesn’t understand the lack of progress. The group is afraid to ask her about the box top, assuming that this is supposed to be a test of sorts. Ms Leeder rationalizes that they are hard workers and good people so she will just be patient. The process continues with both groups having relied upon assumptions.

This story has many parallels to what happens in most physical therapy practices. People are hired, given the rules and policies, and then put to work on achieving success. The owner may know what his or her vision is and may have a game plan to achieve it. However, it is rarely communicated clearly to and understood by the staff, who are critical in carrying out and achieving that vision. The owner’s vision has been established in his or her own mind, but it is not documented. And if it is, it is not done in a compelling way. An owner’s vision is analogous to the puzzle’s box top. Let’s explore why the box top is so important and then determine how to create a box top that really works.

What Will a Vision Do for Me Specifically?
First, why is a vision so important? A clear vision is the key to ultimately achieving what you set out to build the day you started in the business or management position. A compelling vision:

• Measures whether your business or organization is a fit for your life;

• Creates clarity for the owner(s), manager(s), and employee(s);

• Attracts key employees (vision helps attract the kinds of employees an owner is looking for);

• Increases motivation and energy among employees;

• Enables practice owners to see more and differentiate the right opportunities;

• Serves as a guide for better decision-making for the owner(s), manager(s), and employee(s); and

• Provides benchmarks to track your success.

First and foremost, a clear vision that is effectively used will enable you to see if your plan is congruent with what you want out of life. An unclear vision usually leads to burnout and, eventually, the realization that your business or organization has become your entire life. It is at this point that you begin to resent your business, blaming employees or other third parties for your frustrations. You wonder how you ever got to this place, disenchanted and frustrated.

A well-written vision is a source of energy when it is congruent with your life purpose. If the vision remains congruent with your life purpose, it will continue to inspire you and re-create the original excitement you felt. Your vision can give you momentum and improve your life—at a higher level than simply monetarily. When purchasing a puzzle, it is probable that you chose a box top that has meaning to some aspect of your life. If you chose a puzzle that doesn’t have meaning, then most likely you will never finish it.

The second benefit of a well-developed vision is its clarity. The power of clarity is so great because it creates energy, decisiveness, determination, and a high level of focus beyond what you have ever experienced before. By following these characteristics of clarity on a daily basis, you and your employees will be on a faster track.

Remember the excitement you felt about starting your business or taking on a new position? This excitement was partly due to how obvious it was to you as to why you should start your own business initially. Similarly, clearly knowing what the box top looks like increases your effectiveness, efficiency, and drive to complete the puzzle. Success is more certain when you have clarity.

Next, your vision can be a key ingredient in attracting the right people to your business or organization. When a person chooses a puzzle, it is because the box top appeals to them so that they take it off the shelf and buy it. Using your vision tactically in the hiring process can be the key in identifying and attracting the right people. When interviewing a prospective employee, you can determine (as can they) if he or she is a good match for your organization by his or her reaction to your vision.

A vision that is properly written and that can be communicated verbally (can you describe the box top clearly and passionately to someone else?) will motivate you each time you talk about it. Consequently, your passion and conviction will be transmitted to the other person. If he or she is the right type of employee for your company, he or she will find your vision and passion inspiring. His or her conviction can become a key indicator for you. Does the potential employee appear excited by your vision? If the answer is no, then both parties are probably better off not having a working relationship. Remember, people always respond emotionally first and logically second. An initial connection with your vision takes place at an emotional level for the potential employee. In the end, you must ask yourself if your box top moves you and the potential employee.

Another benefit is maintaining high energy and motivation for your established employees, which will be largely based on your vision and how it impacted them. Revisiting the vision on a regular basis can maintain the drive, energy, and focus among employees. Tracking progress and letting employees know about their progress will keep them motivated and highly productive. In other words, showing them the box top on a regular basis will effectively increase their productivity. When putting a puzzle together, people will often check the box top to know if what they are doing is consistent with the box top. Being able to reference that box top keeps them engaged and motivated.

A properly developed and written vision will greatly enhance and clarify your decision-making abilities. Using the puzzle analogy, if someone were to intermix pieces from a different puzzle into the correct 10,000 pieces, it would be much more difficult to determine if a particular piece would fit into the picture without the box top. Having the box top diminishes the amount of time you should spend figuring out where a puzzle piece belongs or if it even belongs at all.

If there is no red in the picture on the box top, then it is easy to realize that a red puzzle piece obviously is not a good fit, and time should not be wasted attempting to make it fit. This same concept can be applied toward your vision for your practice. The clearer your vision, the easier it is to make decisions about "opportunities" that come along that don’t fit, and the easier it is to see distractions that may waste valuable time.

Last, but not least, a clear and well-defined vision will enable you to track the progress of your success as a leader. Just as you would continually compare the puzzle pieces to the box top, you will be able to compare your personal progress toward your vision. By maintaining this constant feedback, your motivation and focus will be higher and you will be more inspired to remain on the track to your vision. Excitement tends to increase as the connected puzzle pieces begin to resemble the image on the box top that you are using as a guide. So it is in business: Tracking your progress against the big picture will fuel the drive and determination that you need to reach your vision and keep you on track.

How Do I Develop a Powerful Vision?
A large assumption needs to be made before we talk about how to develop your vision. We have to assume that you have a clear picture about what the essence of your life is. This does not necessarily mean knowing your life goals but rather what you want your life to be remembered for. Knowing this will enable you to give your vision the ultimate test: Does my vision serve my life?

The key to a vision is that it must embody your values and your life, and it must reflect a part of your innermost being. The vision must be written and communicated in a way that moves you and others, is measurable, and reflects the desired goal for your business or organization. Your vision should be that perfect reflection of what you want to create and should embody the prototype of what your business should look like when it runs on all cylinders. What will it look like when you have completed the creation you imagine?

A vision is not a one-paragraph statement. It is a one-page, living document that spells out all of the components of your business or organization. Your vision should paint a descriptive visual of the impact its success will have on you, your profession, your external and internal customers, your community, and your legacy. The document will be threaded with the beliefs and philosophies that you strongly believe in. It will also include details on what people will see, hear, feel, and sense when they interact with this creation. A vision is not solely emotional but will also address more tangible items; as well as specific outcomes, such as the number of clinics, gross revenue, gross-profit percentage, the number of employees, the time frame for completion, and more.

Sit down at a time when you can reflect on yourself, your business or organization, and your life. It is important to look at the "why" behind your business or organization.

Start by answering these questions:

• What is your life about? This question should be examined from a broad sense and not from a goal or objective perspective.

• What does building this vision do for you both personally and professionally?

• How will creating this vision serve your legacy?

• How specifically and uniquely will your business interact with those key people it serves and those who serve it?

• What is the impact on those who come in contact with your business?

• Why is your business/organization more attractive than those of your competitors?

• What are the tangible benchmarks that help you realize that you have accomplished your vision?

• What are the intangible measures that you would experience?

In the end, the goal is to have a vision that documents what first attracted your desire to own or run your organization. It is that part of you that wants and needs to be expressed in a manner that is congruent with who you are and what you want your life to be about. It is helpful to have a vision that embodies your passions and determinations, and convinces others to be motivated in helping you accomplish your goal. Your vision needs to be alive and a part of your everyday awareness, and—just like the puzzle box top—a guide and motivator to ensure its completion. Your vision needs to be the kind of box top that when you and your employees pass by it on the shelf, you want to reach up and purchase it … again.

Jeffrey W. Hathaway, PT, has been a physical therapist for more than 20 years. He has an extensive consulting background in organizational change, interest-based negotiations, team building, conflict management, and communication skills. He is a former certified business coach and currently owns five clinics in upstate New York and Pennsylvania. He owns PRO-Active Physical Therapy in Syracuse, NY, and he can be reached at Jeffh@PROactivePTclinics.com or www.PROactivePTclinics.com