The day is January 7, 2024. For us at BNI Alberta North, it’s a special date. It’s not about the past, but about our future. The Regional Vision we’ve set isn’t just a plan, it’s like a snapshot of our future success. It’s a team goal that shows what we can achieve when we unite and work toward the same target.
What is a Vision?
A vision, in its simplest terms, is a foresight of where we aspire to be; it’s the destination we set for ourselves in the journey towards success. It’s not about where we are currently, but where we want to be in the future. A vision is like a lighthouse, guiding us through the rough seas of challenges, and steering us towards our desired outcome. It encapsulates our ambitions, our dreams, and our purpose. It’s the picture we paint for ourselves, and our organization’s future, inspiring us to strive forward, innovate, and grow.
In essence, a vision is our guiding star, the direction by which we base our decisions and actions, keeping us on track to achieve our collective goals.
Our vision for 2024 has some ambitious, but reachable, goals:
- Aim for 90% of our members to be a part of at least three regional training workshops.
- Achieve a high retention rate of 75% overall and 60% for our first-year members.
- Grow by enlarging our existing chapters and introducing new ones across our region.
- Set a goal for every member to make nearly one referral every week.
These are ambitious goals, but they’re not just numbers. They represent the kind of community we’re building – one that’s active, committed, growing, and supportive.
Our regions Co-Executive Directors, Neville Ward and Aanand Mehta, shared their thoughts about why this vision matters so much:
“The vision is important to me as it motivates members to work together towards a shared goal of creating a thriving business community.”
– Aanand Mehta
This highlights one of the most important aspects of the vision: it’s not just a set of goals, but a call to action. It encourages all of us to pull together and build a vibrant business community.
Neville echoed this sentiment, stating,
“Our vision for the region helps keep our team focused on what’s important and shows our members that their personal and business growth are very important to everyone involved with BNI Alberta North.”
– Neville Ward
This shows us how a clear vision can serve as a compass, guiding us towards our collective goal and reminding us that every member’s growth is vital to the whole organization.
Senior Director Consultant, Janice Baskin, who helped create our vision, learned from Lois Weinblatt of True North Visionaries that a vision is a description of success at some point in the future. Janice explained that this vision helps to, “guide our daily actions and decisions, making sure we stay focused and excited about our desired future.”
So why should you, as a member, care about this vision? And how can you use it in your own chapter?
- Shared Purpose: Our vision gives us a common goal. It unites us, and a united community is a strong one. By understanding and sharing this vision with your chapter, you’ll be moving as one towards the same destination.
- Growth Guide: The vision sets a clear path for growth – your growth, your chapter’s growth, and the growth of BNI Alberta North. Use the vision as a guide when making decisions in your chapter. Consider how every decision and action can bring you closer to these goals.
- Inspiration and Motivation: The vision is a constant reminder of what we’re aiming to achieve. It can inspire and motivate members in your chapter to actively participate and contribute to the community.
- Performance Measurement: By comparing your chapter’s activities with our vision, you can gauge how well you’re doing and where you can improve. It’s like a measuring stick for success!
- Planning and Strategy: When setting new goals or planning activities in your chapter, use the vision as a reference. This will help you ensure that your plans are in line with our overall goals.
The BNI Alberta North Regional Vision isn’t just words on a page. It’s a shared promise we make to each other and a marker, guiding us towards a successful future. This vision is the blueprint for our region’s growth, where every member and chapter play a key role.
Using the BNI Vision as a Guide
By using our vision as a guide, we can make strategic decisions that align with our shared objectives. It provides members with clear direction and helps us focus our efforts where they will have the most impact. So, every choice you make, every goal you set, and every action you take within your chapter should lead you one step closer to making our vision a reality.
Moreover, our vision fosters a sense of pride and belonging. As members of BNI Alberta North, we all have a stake in turning our vision into reality. When you share our vision with others in your chapter, it creates a sense of camaraderie and a shared commitment to achieving our goals.
The Regional Vision of BNI Alberta North also serves as a source of motivation. It encourages us to strive for excellence and to continuously improve our performance. By keeping our vision at the forefront of our minds, we are constantly motivated to work towards achieving our goals and making BNI Alberta North a thriving and successful region.
In essence, our vision is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together towards a common goal. It’s an affirmation of our potential and a declaration of our commitment to building a prosperous future for BNI Alberta North.
If you would like to know more about the Region’s Vision and why it matters to our members, reach out to your Director Consultant. They are passionate to speak about this topic (in fact, be warned! Many of the Director Consultants have trouble stopping once they get started). You can also view our vision in full here.
Let’s embrace our vision and work together to turn it into reality. After all, our collective efforts today will shape the success of our region tomorrow. Here’s to creating a thriving BNI Alberta North, one referral, one chapter, one member at a time!
