ATD Blog
Not Sure if You Have a Vision? Ask Yourself These Questions
Wed Apr 15 2020
Content
We’ve all heard business and leadership jargon defined differently over decades: mission, vision, purpose, values, strategy, goals, and the like. I’ve seen individuals, teams, and entire organizations become cynical and paralyzed by these terms as they struggle to find value and make sense of three foundational questions:
We’ve all heard business and leadership jargon defined differently over decades: mission, vision, purpose, values, strategy, goals, and the like. I’ve seen individuals, teams, and entire organizations become cynical and paralyzed by these terms as they struggle to find value and make sense of three foundational questions:
Content
Why do we exist? This is our mission or purpose, which defines the unique value we bring to the world.
Why do we exist? This is our mission or purpose, which defines the unique value we bring to the world.
Content
What does success look like at a specific point in time when we are accomplishing our mission? This is our vision , and it needs to be a shared picture, clear enough that we’d know it if we had it.
What does success look like at a specific point in time when we are accomplishing our mission? This is our vision, and it needs to be a shared picture, clear enough that we’d know it if we had it.
Content
How will we get there? This is our strategy , or the three to five priority areas that will be our primary focus, because this focus creates competitive differentiation and the highest likelihood that we will achieve our picture of success.
How will we get there? This is our strategy, or the three to five priority areas that will be our primary focus, because this focus creates competitive differentiation and the highest likelihood that we will achieve our picture of success.
Content
These are the definitions based on how I’ve learned and practiced them as I’ve led business units and companies during the last 20 years. I have found that lack of clarity of mission and vision create significant challenges in rallying the organization and identifying an effective strategy that will guide the company forward with clear direction. Conversely, when the organization is inspired and aligned around a shared purpose and vision, it unleashes creativity and contribution at all levels.
These are the definitions based on how I’ve learned and practiced them as I’ve led business units and companies during the last 20 years. I have found that lack of clarity of mission and vision create significant challenges in rallying the organization and identifying an effective strategy that will guide the company forward with clear direction. Conversely, when the organization is inspired and aligned around a shared purpose and vision, it unleashes creativity and contribution at all levels.
Content
What do the best leaders do to ensure clarity? Our company has spent 30 years studying what drives effective, purposeful leadership and recently published a book on the topic entitled Become: The Five Commitments of Purposeful Leadership . Together, these five commitments reveal what a strong leader must deliver to meet the expectations of their stakeholders. They must:
What do the best leaders do to ensure clarity? Our company has spent 30 years studying what drives effective, purposeful leadership and recently published a book on the topic entitled Become: The Five Commitments of Purposeful Leadership. Together, these five commitments reveal what a strong leader must deliver to meet the expectations of their stakeholders. They must:
Content
Inspire people to embrace the company’s vision or goal, providing hope for the future.
Inspire people to embrace the company’s vision or goal, providing hope for the future.
Content
Engage the most skilled stakeholders to make meaningful contributions.
Engage the most skilled stakeholders to make meaningful contributions.
Content
Innovate by providing clarity about changes needed to achieve that vision or goal.
Innovate by providing clarity about changes needed to achieve that vision or goal.
Content
Achieve by creating structure and process for powerful teams to align resources and execute.
Achieve by creating structure and process for powerful teams to align resources and execute.
Content
Become a someone worth following by being committed, courageous, and self-aware.
Become a someone worth following by being committed, courageous, and self-aware.
Content
Our research identified that the commitment at the top of the list for leadership effectiveness is to inspire , which is critical in the visioning process. What matters is the leader’s ability to create and articulate a compelling vision of the future that motivates others; guide clear action and behavior; help individuals see the critical role of their work in achieving the vision; and communicate it relentlessly so everyone understands it.
Our research identified that the commitment at the top of the list for leadership effectiveness is to inspire, which is critical in the visioning process. What matters is the leader’s ability to create and articulate a compelling vision of the future that motivates others; guide clear action and behavior; help individuals see the critical role of their work in achieving the vision; and communicate it relentlessly so everyone understands it.
Content
So how does a leader go about creating vision? Here is a simple process I’ve used effectively for decades, using an exercise that applies equally to your personal life as it does to your individual leadership, your team, or your entire organization.
So how does a leader go about creating vision? Here is a simple process I’ve used effectively for decades, using an exercise that applies equally to your personal life as it does to your individual leadership, your team, or your entire organization.
Content
First, think through the logical categories that would be important to consider when defining success. For my life, the categories are health, family, friends, career, community, and fun. For our company, we visualize business and financial performance; clients and their experience; product and service offerings; and colleague experience and organizational capabilities.
First, think through the logical categories that would be important to consider when defining success. For my life, the categories are health, family, friends, career, community, and fun. For our company, we visualize business and financial performance; clients and their experience; product and service offerings; and colleague experience and organizational capabilities.
Content
Next, spend some quiet, uninterrupted time brainstorming what success would look like against those categories three years out and where you are today (for instance, your current reality). The result of that work should feel inspiring but also aspirational. Vision needs to be an attainable reach but a far enough stretch that it motivates the entire team or organization to get there.
Next, spend some quiet, uninterrupted time brainstorming what success would look like against those categories three years out and where you are today (for instance, your current reality). The result of that work should feel inspiring but also aspirational. Vision needs to be an attainable reach but a far enough stretch that it motivates the entire team or organization to get there.
Content
And finally, ask yourself these questions to solidify your vision:
And finally, ask yourself these questions to solidify your vision:
Content
What inspires our workforce to get out of bed every day?
What inspires our workforce to get out of bed every day?
Content
What would we see differently as a result of our work? Set a timeframe; for example, three years. What will be different and how will we know it?
What would we see differently as a result of our work? Set a timeframe; for example, three years. What will be different and how will we know it?
Content
What is the impact we will have on the world? What results will we see?
What is the impact we will have on the world? What results will we see?
Content
What are the critical actions we must take to move one step closer to the vision?
What are the critical actions we must take to move one step closer to the vision?
Content
You know a vision is “done” when it has the following characteristics:
You know a vision is “done” when it has the following characteristics:
Content
aspirational—you want it and have to reach for it
aspirational—you want it and have to reach for it
Content
something bigger than yourself; you need to work with others to achieve it
something bigger than yourself; you need to work with others to achieve it
Content
specific and clearly recognizable (you’d know it if you had it)
specific and clearly recognizable (you’d know it if you had it)
Content
emphasizes outcomes rather than process
emphasizes outcomes rather than process
Content
changes over time, as you feel the progress of getting closer to it or as current reality changes
changes over time, as you feel the progress of getting closer to it or as current reality changes
Content
catalyzes action, and a process of imagining, inventing, and designing.
catalyzes action, and a process of imagining, inventing, and designing.
Content
The most inspiring thing about vision is seeing movement toward it, which creates additional focus, energy, and motivation in your organization. If you don’t have a vision for your life (which includes your career), your team, or your organization, there is no better time than now to start.
The most inspiring thing about vision is seeing movement toward it, which creates additional focus, energy, and motivation in your organization. If you don’t have a vision for your life (which includes your career), your team, or your organization, there is no better time than now to start.