Vision Check

I am currently working with the senior leaders of an organization, to craft a vision that will guide them over the next five years.   I was leading some group sessions to learn more about one of the organization’s key teams, when that team’s leader confronted me.

“What a minute,” he said, “we’re all busy.  Why should we be wasting time and money on this?” He went on to share his view of vision statements:  “Very expensive random words, framed on a conference room or a lobby wall, and never thought of again.”   He likened our intended outcome to, um, bovine-derived fertilizer.

I have to concede: I’ve seen many such statements, and I’ve worked in and around the organizations that sport them.  Many involved consultants; every single one began with abundant good intentions.  So, how can we make a leadership vision – the content, more than the statements themselves – a valuable, strategic leadership tool?

A vision is a description of the future that can guide and motivate people to bring it about.   It is a product of practical, applied imagination.  We consider four factors when crafting a vision that will remain useful:

• Scope:  Who and what are involved in the realization of this vision?  Who must take action, who might be involved, and whom will be affected?  The scope of a vision could be as narrow as a single individual, or as broad as the universe.
• Reach: What is the “distance” between our current reality and our future vision?  Is our vision readily attainable, or will it require a high levels of effort, resources, or risk?  How long might it take to see progress, or to come to fruition?
• Impact:  Why does this vision matter?  What are the expected benefits?  What are the negative consequences of any changes, and how might we mitigate them?
• Clarity: Have we thought through specifics? Can we articulate our vision in ways that engage others in helping to bring it about?

Finally, any powerful vision is a shared vision: created by a group, and valued by group members.  Leaders play a particular role: igniting a common interest in creating or preserving something of value, and stoking the ongoing commitment to bring it about.  Leaders in all roles become the stewards of their groups’ visions, working to empower others to make them real.  That ongoing job is easier if the vision itself reflects some up-front work, and some refinement from time to time as well.

With due attention to the quality of our vision, we stand a very good chance of pleasantly surprising – and ultimately engaging- even the staunchest skeptics.