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Vision Boards at Lululemon

Lululemon sells athletic wear including tops, yoga pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, and undergarments, as well as hair accessories, bags, yoga mats, and water bottles, in retail stores and online. Lululemon is the highest-ranked retailer on Glassdoors 2020 Best Places to Work survey for U.S. companies (ranked #22 overall). Some positive comments from associates include the following:

One of the best jobs Ive ever hadlearned so much about how to be a leader and treat other people.

Managers act as coaches: helping you focus on improving your work performance or just achieving your personal or health goals.

They care about you as an individual through development and growth.

One of Lululemons core values is its investment in store associates personal and career goals.

You may have shopped in a Lululemon store, but did you notice vision boards posted by employees? These boards are part of a unique goal-setting program in which associates create a 10-year plan for three areas of their lives: health, personal, and career.

Lululemons company website has a worksheet for employees to use for setting their goals. The purpose of the worksheet is explained as follows:

THE PRACTICE OF SETTING YOUR VISION & GOALS. Setting a 10-year vision and the goals that support it allows you to create a clear picture of an ideal future and what it takes to get there. Jumping 10 years into the future inspires you to dream big because it removes the constraints of time, money, and knowledge. Creating goals from your vision allows you to plan for achieving your ideal life. Get ready to step into the world of possibility and create your future!

Long-term goals are then translated into 5-year and 1-year action plans. Associates create a vision board in which they visually represent their goals. These boards can be made with a cardboard backing and can have words and photos (but it is recommended that 80% of the material on the vision board be visual). Every associate is asked to create a vision board and post it at work.

Many employees say that the vision board has had a positive impact on their lives. Its also about creating stronger relationships among associates. This happens because associates learn what matters most to their coworkers. This builds friendships at work and increases trust. For example, one associate may ask another, How is your training for that 5K going? Another example is when an employee shows the importance of family on their vision board; others may be less quick to judge them when they leave precisely at 5:00 pm.

Executives at Lululemon communicate that goal setting is ongoing and something that should be done frequently. Lululemons passion for goal setting has drawn some criticism. After associates were on the job for 9 months, they were required to attend self-improvement seminars. Some employees felt forced to attend the seminars, which gave advice such as not to have a bad day. In recent years, the pressure to attend the seminars for career advancement has been reduced.

Lululemon now offers vision board parties for anyone interested in attending. A party announcement from January 2020 reads,

Lululemon NY Vision Board Party

What if the power to create a meaningful and abundant life was less about doing and more about visualizing? Join Lululemon Global Yoga Ambassador Sara Clark for an evening of dreaming big. We will explore the power of our hearts and mind in preparation to make powerful shifts in 2020. Come ready to connect, meditate and create a vision board of your own.

Lululemon provides supplies to make the boards, but people can bring their own magazines or personal photos that they feel represent their goals. So, their passion for goal setting is now extended to customers and the public.

Sources: Lululemon (2015); Lululemon (2020); Ryan (2017); Schwecherl (2013).

Discussion Questions

Do you think that the vision boards are important to Lululemons business success? Explain why or why not. What are some of the benefits of Lululemons focus on the personal development of its associates?

Do some research and locate photos of vision boards. Do you find them inspiring?

Do you think the creation of vision boards would work for other retailers? Other companies in general? Why or why not?

What is your opinion regarding employees being required to attend personal development workshops and create vision boards?