What We Get is What We See
Your ability to develop an energizing vision for your team or
organization determines whether you're be a high performing
leader or a Technomanager, technician, supervisor, project
manager, administrator, or bureaucrat. At the heart of leading
others is your ability to develop and communicate a clear and
compelling picture of your team or organization's preferred
future.
Within two months of joining forces in 1981, Art McNeil and I
developed the first of many visions for The Achieve Group (a
training and consulting we founded and eventually sold to
California-based Zenger Miller Inc.) It became a yearly ritual
for us, and later our team of Achievers to review and revise our
vision (and values) and then set that year's strategies, goals,
plans, and budgets. In 1983, we collaborated with Tom Peters' to
develop "Toward Excellence" an executive action planning
process. We went on to help hundreds of management teams (some
much more successfully then others) in many countries establish
their vision, values, and purpose and then put together
implementation strategies and build the leadership skills that
brought it all to life. These rich experiences showed that a
powerful team or organization vision:
* creates organizational energy and enthusiasm for change and
improvement.
* provides an overarching "big picture" direction, focus, and
passion to strategies, budgets, plans, systems, processes, and
technological change.
* focuses and builds teams much more effectively than wilderness
experiences, simulations, or group exercises
* counterbalances the pain, suffering, and helplessness that
downsizing, disaster, or other such depressing activities
usually bring.
* vaccinates people against the Victimitis Virus and Pessimism
Plague by giving them a sense of hopefulness and
self-determination.
* sets up a "magnetic force" that will attract the people and
"lucky breaks" needed to move toward the vision.
* repels those people who don't want to be any part of anything
so "unrealistic", "fanciful", "stupid", etc.
* boosts everyone's "psychic pay" and make them feel like
winners who are part of an organization that's going somewhere
exciting.
Organization Pathways and Pitfalls
Highly effective leaders take many different pathways to help
teams and people throughout their organization clarify or
clearly see pictures of their preferred future. Here are a few
tips and traps:
* Like mission and vision statements and values, goal setting
and visioning labels often get confused and used
interchangeably. Generally that doesn't matter. As long as you
and the people on you team and in your organization are clear
and consistent with their meanings and approaches, don't get
hung up on definitions and jargon. But many people really are
confused about the conflicting and complimentary aspects of
visions and goals. Goals are management issues. They deal with
rational analysis, planning, measurement, and discipline.
Visions are leadership issues. They deal with feelings, energy,
ideas, and fantasy. These are not either/or choices -- both are
needed.
* You and your team need to picture and describe your preferred
future as vividly as possible. One approach is to imagine it's
five years from today and you're being interviewed by a leading
journalist on the phenomenal success your company or team have
had. Describe the results you've achieved and perhaps the
approach you've used. Speak in the present tense as if it's all
happening around you right now. What are your highly loyal
customers saying about your team or organization? How are people
throughout your organization talking and acting? How about
suppliers? Shareholders? Other external or internal partners?
* Too many managers try to delegate "the vision thing" to a
committee. It doesn't work. If you're a senior manager, caring
for the context and providing organization focus isn't just part
of your job, it is your job.
* Unless you're an exceptionally clear and inspiring writer, be
very careful about drafting a "vision statement" and using that
as your communications center piece. Visions are about feelings,
beliefs, emotions, and pictures. It's very hard to bring those
across on paper. Visions are the most compelling when they are
delivered in person by a leader who's an effective communicator.
Powerful personal communication skills and energizing leadership
are inseparable. Learn how to use "impassioned logic" by adding
metaphors, stories, models, or examples to help everyone "see
the big picture" and rouse their emotions to make it happen.
Vision is the critical focal point and beginning to high
performance. Powerful pictures produce passion and persistence.
The clearer and more compelling the vision, the stronger the
passion. And the more likely we are to hang in there during the
inevitable downs, discouragements, and defeats as we reach for
our dreams.