The real value of a Vision

It’s easy to hear the word ‘vision’ and consign it to the management BS-bingo bin. But you wouldn’t get on a bus without knowing where it’s going, would you? So why would you think anyone would work in your team without a vision?

The reality is that people do work blind and it’s rarely a showstopper, which lulls leaders into believing it’s not a problem. But in the absence of a vision, people’s work will likely be more transactional, more reactive and less committed.

‘I’ll do maybe a bit more than the minimum, and sure, I’ll earthworm my way through anything on my ‘to do’ list, within reason, as it arises’. But they won’t go above and beyond, because progress isn’t a motivator when you don’t have a destination. But with a vision, the future looks brighter on a couple of levels:

1 Even a vision that doesn’t particularly resonate makes it easier for staff to make sense of their work, and understand their part in the journey. Even if the bus isn’t heading for one of your top 10 destinations, at least it’s better to ‘go and know’ that than being blindfolded on some not-so-magical mystery tour.

2 If it is a vision that resonates, oodles of discretionary effort is on the table. People work harder, smarter, and voluntarily too (with the bonus of freeing you up to do your job instead of theirs).

The vision is a catalyst that results in further fulfilling your purpose. Now you’re into the Dan Pink territory of intrinsic motivation, and your leadership can morph beautifully from pushing to guiding.

What’s the issue?

1 You will be blown off course. Parts of your strategy will become redundant, parts of it will emerge along the way. And some – just some – of it will get implemented unchanged. The ONLY way to reorientate yourself when that happens is to understand where your North Star (or Southern Cross) is. And let’s face it, if you don’t know where you’re going in calm waters, you’ll most definitely be up a certain creek without a paddle (or compass) when the storm hits the fan.

2 People want to know where they’re going. It’s a basic primal need for security. Planned uncharted territory is tough enough, but unintended unidentified uncharted territory is unjustifiable risk without reward. You then run the risk of losing your followers – without which you’re no longer a leader.

3 If you’re going the wrong way – for example chasing the vanity of market share at the expense of the sanity of cashflow – then if you do everything else well and take your productivity up a level, you are – in the words of the late great Prof Russ Ackoff – just going to go ‘wronger’.

All that effort to take you closer to the edge of liquidation. Your competitors could not have stitched you up any better.

Consider this

1 Paint a picture of where you want to be in 3 years’ time. What does it look and feel like? How will you know you’re there? Link it to your purpose and explain why it matters to make this much ground in this direction this quickly – not just the financials but your effect on society.

2 Communicate progress often. Turn on the sound of your corporate GPS. Revisit it at every strategy session. Break it down into manageable more meaningful day-to-day chunks.

3 Make sure your vision is a good stretch. That’s defined as being:

A) far enough out there that you can’t get there today without significant change e.g. more horsepower, new technology, new skills, a different culture etc. Otherwise it won’t motivate the effort, innovation and focus needed.

B) near enough that people believe it’s possible. Otherwise they’ll give up before they even get to basecamp.

Try this

You know the next summit you’re aiming to conquer. Now step back for a moment and imagine if you didn’t. And imagine the effect that might have on your own motivation and productivity. Then multiply that effect by your workforce.

At HPC, we developed Adaptability Based Leadership with the express purpose of raising productivity through more engaged, better led staff. If that approach resonates, contact me and let’s get you started on the next phase of your journey towards mastering leadership.