Ron Johnson
February 1, 2011, marks Ron Johnson’s moon shot. The former head of the Apple Retail Store intends to transform J.C. Penney into America’s favorite store. If anyone has the vision to radically re-think the retail environment into something extraordinary, it’s Johnson. When skeptics challenged Apple’s decision to open retail stores in malls, Johnson and Steve Jobs knew differently. They realized that “enriching lives” instead of “moving boxes,” would lead them to create an environment where employees enjoyed working and customers enjoyed shopping.
Johnson says J.C. Penney’s transformation will take four years. The first steps begin in February with a move to a simpler pricing structure, a new logo, a new catalog, new ads, and a new spokesperson, Ellen DeGeneres. Within four years Johnson envisions stores that will have been completely remodeled, divided into small boutiques with a “town square” in the center.
Johnson believes in setting a bold vision to set forces in motion. He knows that every great accomplishment begins with a clearly articulated vision. A vision is not a mission statement. A mission statement is a long, convoluted paragraph generally arrived at by committee and largely forgotten. A mission is about you. A vision is about them. A vision is a picture of a better world made possible by your product, service or idea. A compelling vision also comes with a deadline.
My dinner with Armstrong. Several years ago some friends had arranged a dinner after a business conference we were all attending. The guest of honor, a friend of one our companions, was astronaut Neil Armstong. For several hours over Italian food and bottles (and bottles) of wine, Armstrong regaled us with stories of being the first man on the moon. He reminded us that it took 400,000 people to make the moon landing possible: scientists, engineers, researchers, etc. Each of those people were inspired by a vision first articulated by John F. Kennedy in 1961: to a put a man on the moon and return him safely to earth by the end of the decade. Kennedy’s vision was bold, concise (if Twitter had existed, Kennedy’s vision could have fit in one post) and specific—he even attached a deadline to it. America didn’t have the rocket technology to go to the moon but even scientists who said it couldn’t be done started asking, “Well, if we were to do it by the end of the decade, how could we make it happen?” A vision set forces in motion.
Neil Armstrong
4 elements of an inspiring vision. What vision do you have for your company? An inspiring vision has four elements. It must be bold, specific, concise, and consistently communicated. A bold vision inspires our best efforts. A specific vision—along with a deadline— inspires super human efforts and unleashes creativity. A concise vision is easily remembered and internalized. Finally, a vision must be consistently communicated in all presentations, internal and external communications.
Bold, intoxicating visions inspire dreamers and attract evangelists. People want to believe in something. They want to believe in a goal that brings out their best selves. They want to shoot for the moon. What’s your moonshot?