Management Stripped Bare 229 worry. The same statements used in the original vision machine can also be used for the values statement. Visions and values are not about crafting elegant statements for the annual report. They are about guiding the daily business and behaviour of the firm. They are about what people do, not say. It is about the walk, not the talk. Visions with value Visionaries are dangerous. For every visionary who takes you to the Promised Land, there are another 12 who march you straight back into the desert. Visionaries never lack self-belief, even if they lack competence. And yet visions can be powerful. Remember Kennedy: `We will put a man on the moon and bring him back alive again within 10 years.' It sounded impossible, but it galvanized a nation and the United States achieved it. Since the vision was realized NASA has had successes (Hubble) and failure (Challenger) but has never quite risen to the heights it achieved with the moon shot. Clearly, not all of us can be visionary in the office. We are not like Martin Luther King and `I have a dream...' If you have dreams in the office, keep them to yourself. But we do not need to be like Martin Luther King or President Kennedy to be visionary. We just need to tell a story about our part of the organization in three parts: This is where we are. This is where we are going. This is how we will get there. Most of us can do this. A simple story like that is a vision: it gives clarity, direction and purpose. And the shorter the story is, the better it is: it becomes clearer, simpler and more memorable. If you want to make your vision really motivational, you add a fourth part to it: `This is your very important role in helping us get there.' In other words, personalize your vision to each person on your team. The janitor may not feel wildly passionate about globalizing your product or service. But if your global customers visit you from far away, will they be impressed by filthy toilet facilities? Suddenly, you have a story to tell about how your janitor has a vital role to play in fulfilling your global vision.