Develop Your Vision

"A Buddhist monk once said, 'When you wash dishes, wash dishes.' At first the monk's zen-like thought seemed obvious to me, of no particular value, but upon reflection it began to make more sense. Eventually, I translated it into a phrase that had great significance: 'When in charge, be in charge.' And being in charge means that you must create the future." Gordon Sullivan, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (retired)

You may have a general notion of where you would like your organization to go, but to craft a vision, take the following steps to ensure as much buy-in from stakeholders as possible.

Consider first the shared values and ideals of the organization. You won't get very far if you don't adhere to the basic beliefs of the group. Retain whatever is still useful and valuable from the former vision and mission. You don't always have to throw out the entire past to move forward.

Discuss your ideas with various stakeholders. Talk to your superiors and subordinates, and use lateral networking to get valuable information, input, an dearly support across various functions and departments. Find out what they want and need, and, most importantly, how they react to your vision.

Make sure that all perspectives are represented. Failure to listen to a powerful group or voice can result in problems later on. For example, certain stakeholders may be unwilling to support you at a critical juncture. if you don't incorporate the opinion of an important group, your vision may not address all relevant organizational needs.

Use the results of your research wisely. Incorporate what you learned to define a vision that is both realistic and focused. An effective vision is achievable. Even if it is ambitious, you, your team, and your stakeholders need to be imagining the same set of outcomes.

Ask your team to provide reality checks to help clarify the vision. Listen to those closed to you. Remain flexible. You may have to keep reassessing and revising your vision until it's right.

Clearly define the vision's benefits to all involved. Determine the benefits not only to your unit, but to the broader organization--employees, stakeholders, and customers alike. If these stakeholders know "what's in it for me," they'll be more likely to embrace the vision and offer assistance when asked.

ACTION POINT: Think in terms of satisfying deep human needs. People want to achieve; they want to feel that they belong; they want to have self-esteem and a feeling of control over their lives. If your vision helps to satisfy these needs, you will have plenty of support.