Our family has moved three times in the last 7 years, and each time I have a different vision for how I’d like to decorate the place. I spend hours and hours on Pinterest or wandering around stores to find the “look”, and then scout out bargains to make it come to life. Unfortunately for my sweet husband Mike, this inevitably means he is tasked with putting together furniture. As I write this, he is building the guest bed pictured here- and trying to interpret the instructions. CeCe and I were peering over his shoulder when he asked me, “This doesn’t match the dresser…what is the room going to look like when we’re done?”. He’s a guy who likes things defined clearly in advance. I replied, “It’s perfect! I see it as a feminine and peaceful space since Mom will be using it most often. Trust me, it’s all going to work out!” And that’s when I saw the parallels between home and what’s happening here at Vista Maria.
One of the chief responsibilities of a CEO is to be visionary; a person who sees into the future, makes predictions, and then figures out how to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to make a cohesive whole. Even though I am still early in the game, people ask me…”so, what is Vista Maria going to do now that you are here? What is it going to look like?” I know that some of you are wondering, too…what is this going to be like? Just like Mike, you are in the position of needing to trust and believe that everything is going to be just fine. And to do all of that without a lot of directions, with a person you are still getting to know. At this point, I will reassure you that we haven’t had any major decorating disasters at home. 😊
In all seriousness, every CEO I know has a vision for their organization- and each one is based on their unique perspective. So, when a new CEO steps into the role, they usually get to know the organization a bit and then quickly start working on tweaking the vision and strategy to match. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with the previous vision or strategy; it simply means that the new CEO has different eyes and experiences. The update reflects the current state and gets everyone moving forward in the same direction. The vision and strategy should guide the path and illuminate the way.
Keeping with this practice, I am planning on working with senior leaders and our board to formulate an updated vision and strategy in the next few months. The series of meetings will start in late July, and by October we should have something to communicate to everyone. Input from all of you is important, too, so I will be in the programs more often to listen and experience things firsthand. My goal is to have a vision and strategy that all of us can easily and quickly explain to someone that doesn’t know anything about our mission. I also want to simplify and clarify what we’ll be working on for the next year, so we are all on the same page. We all need a trusty set of clear instructions.
I can reassure you that I am not anticipating any major changes. In fact, we might decide there is so much going on that some things on the current task list might be paused so we can take a deep, collective breath. We have a rich history at Vista Maria, based on a firm foundation of values and mission from our beloved Sisters of the Good Shepherd. We have a talented and dedicated team (that is you!) with great ideas to help form the vision and strategy that will carry us forward.
It’s all going to work out.
Blessings,
Megan
P.S. The bed is together and looks fantastic!