The problem with crazy dreams
Building credibility and belief that something great in the future is really possible to achieve doesn't just come about by magic.
A good few years ago I facilitated a strategy workshop with the leadership team of a relatively small technology start-up.
Right at the beginning of the session, I asked them what they wanted to ultimately achieve as a business - 'what was their vision of the future?'
With a straight face, one of the directors said:
"Our vision is to be bigger than Google."
Slowly the other, less senior, members of the team cautiously and reluctantly nodded their heads in complaint approval.
It was obvious to everyone - even though they were nodding their heads - that nobody actually believed that this crazy dream was in any way possible in reality.
The vision that the director had put forward had absolutely zero credibility.
As a strategic intent it was useless, even though as a statement, it was made with a heartfelt good intention.
The problem with a crazy dream of the future (like this example), is that they are pointless, unless you are able to plot a credible way of building belief that it is actually possible to achieve.
To build this credibility you need to take that crazy dream and plot out achievable, incremental steps that can be taken in order to get there.
Through the mapping out of the steps, the path towards crazy becomes clearer and you, and the rest of the team, start to build real belief and confidence that you big goal is possible.
Ultimately that small start up never actually got to be bigger than Google, but they did go on to build a very successful business by toning down the crazy dream and then mapping out and actioning the measurable steps to get to their more realistic vision.
Achieving greatest takes confidence, belief and a lot of motivation to keep working and actioning those steps along a mapped path.
Building credibility and belief that something great in the future is really possible to achieve doesn't just come about by magic. A methodical strategic process is needed to bridge the gap between here and there for it to practically work.
Big future statements need a logical plan of action to make them credible - otherwise, you're just dreaming.