Your Employees are not Psychic

If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, you have a vision for your company. You cherish it. You might coddle it (I hope not.). You try to keep it safe. You try to make it a reality.

Unfortunately, nobody else knows your vision unless you communicate it. Your employees – unless they’re psychic or telepathic – are not inside your head. They don’t know what you’re thinking. They don’t know what you’re planning. They’re stumbling from one place to another, hoping they don’t stub a toe or break an ankle.

Part of your job as a business owner is to communicate your vision. You first have to communicate it to your employees. You have to allow them to play their part in your vision, and you can’t dictate those parts. You have to allow your employees to understand your vision, then to act upon it in their own way. Yes, that may mean you have to alter your vision slightly. If the idea of altering your vision frightens you, good. It should frighten you. It also should indicate that you are holding onto your vision too tightly. Unclench your fists. Let other people support you and your vision. Ask for help. Unless you have the mental capacity and physical strength of ten men, you’re going to need it.

If you’re a freelancer or solopreneur, you are not exempt from communicating your vision. It doesn’t matter how large or small your company is. If you are a company of one, you have to communicate your vision to your supporters. You have to find the people who will support it and the people who will challenge it. You need both types of people. Your vision will not become a reality if you have only supporters or only challengers.

Once you have communicated your vision internally, you then have to share that vision externally. This part probably is more fun than the other. Once you’ve cared for the internal workings of your company, it’s easier to share a vision. It’s a natural outgrowth of the practices you’ve implemented. Those practices will lead to results – a reality instead of only a dream – and a stronger belief in the power of communication and your vision.

Photo: Outdated Productions (CC BY 2.0)