Overview of Crafting a Vision:
In this three-part series, we will cover vision, alignment, and execution. A well-crafted vision is an essential component for any organization or team. It’s aspirational and describes a future, desired state.
People support what they help to create.
A vision: a broad statement, one in which the organization or team is.
For example, the “world leader in X, while maintaining the highest standards in Y and Z.” Ideally, crafting a vision is a shared process with contributions from leaders and others at all levels.
3 Drivers of Crafting a Vision: Exploration, Boldness, and Testing Assumptions.
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Time and Effort:
Leaders may be tempted to make a decision too quickly. Leaders must remain disciplined and intentional, allowing for exploration in new directions. To clarify, exploration drives vision by ensuring that leaders have the opportunity to explore a variety of ideas, while allowing for the necessary time to weigh options. Too frequently, leaders grab onto the first good idea when there may be other better ideas out there.
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Adventurousness:
Leaders must be willing to “think outside the box” and dare to take their team in bold, new directions. Boldness drives vision by ensuring others are excited about the vision. Effective leaders know that a great accomplishment requires a little adventure and bold ideas.
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Seek Counsel From Others and Conduct Research:
Counsel and research ensure that the vision is grounded. By soliciting objective input, it’s easier for leaders to avoid any potential obstacles or problems. In other words, testing assumptions drives vision by ensuring leaders check their hypotheses and recognize potential roadblocks before they become problematic.
Important Aspects of Crafting a Vision:
- Elaborate on assumptions about what can be done.
- Provides purpose for individuals at all levels of the organization or team.
- Drive the development of specific goals.
- Bring people together around a specific focus or vision.
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