A New Year, A Picture of What’s Possible.

Values define how we behave.
A vision defines where we are going.

By now, you and your team have done the foundational work - reflecting on individual values, identifying shared commitments, and naming what matters most. This week, we shift from identity to direction.

Week 4 is about lifting your eyes beyond the day-to-day and asking a bigger question:

What are we building together?

For the Leader: Paint the Future State

Before asking the team to dream, model it.

Prepare a brief presentation that paints a vivid picture of success on December 31, 2026. This is not a metrics review. It is not a performance dashboard. It is a story.

Describe what success feels like.

• How has your team made an impact?

• What has changed because of your work?

• How do customers, partners, or internal stakeholders experience you differently?

• What are people saying about your team when you are not in the room?

Focus on outcomes and influence rather than numbers. Metrics matter - but impact inspires.

Your role is to create possibilities. When leaders speak clearly about the future, they give people something to move toward.

For the Team: The Cover Story Exercise

Now it’s the team’s turn.

Invite them into an imaginative exercise called The Cover Story.

Ask them to imagine it is January 2027. Your team has just been featured on the cover of a major industry magazine because of the remarkable work accomplished over the past year.

Now ask:

• What is the headline?

• What are customers or stakeholders quoted as saying?

• What challenge did you overcome to get here?

• What makes your team stand out?

• What does success look like, sound like, and feel like?

Encourage bold thinking. This is not the moment for cautious language. Let the team describe a future that stretches them.

After the discussion, guide the group to distill everything into a single, clear, inspiring sentence - the headline that captures who you are and where you are headed.

That sentence becomes the first draft of your Team Vision.

Why This Matters

Without a vision, teams drift. They respond. They react.

With a vision, teams choose.

A strong vision aligns decisions, shapes priorities, and helps people see how their work connects to something larger. It creates momentum - not because it is perfect, but because it is shared.

This week is about deciding, together, what you are moving toward in the year ahead.