The Power of Vision
Being able to see a picture or vision of your goal is one of the most highly valued behaviors. It is critical for everyone, no matter what their position or title may be, to be able to point to a vision of their long-term goal as well as the goal in their role including how it fits into the vision of those they work with, whether teammates, partners, or peers. The reason it is so important is that the vision serves as a guiding light that must point and move them in the right direction. Our work at Cooper Margolin has repeatedly shown us that the ability to create and hold a vision cannot reside solely in leadership. Everyone must be able to see and understand the organization’s vision and their part in executing the steps necessary to reach the goal of the vision. However, the organization will not create a vision or goal of what you want to achieve. You must be able to see the goals you set for yourself to be able to reach them. You must be able to articulate and communicate your individual long-term vision as well as the shorter-term vision of your current role in a simple, clear, bold, and compelling way so that everyone can see the part that others play in making their vision a reality. It is only in this way that resources and energy can be harnessed and focused on moving in the same direction.
No one has a perfect set of plans because the world is always changing, but everyone needs to see their vision to have a guiding light that will lead them. It is both necessary and important to acknowledge where we were yesterday and what has happened in the past, but it is more critical that we know where we are going now. In other words, even if we don’t have a perfect road map, we have a picture in our mind of where we are going. Equally important to creating a vision is the ability to view the vision with a telescope and a microscope. The telescope helps you keep your eyes on the longer-term vision. The microscope helps you zoom in and focus on the things you must do in the short term to realize the vision in the telescope. If you have only a telescopic view, then you’ll be thinking about your vision all the time and dreaming about the future but not taking the necessary steps to realize it. If you have only a microscopic view, then you’ll be working hard every day, but setbacks and challenges will likely frustrate and discourage you because you’ll lose sight of the big picture.
One of the simple ways to test the validity of your current role vision is to have an open on-going dialog with the people you lead, work for, or collaborate with. It is important to share your vision of your vision and ask each what their vision is of their personal role. It is also important to ask people what they need from you to do their best and to tell them how they could help you be your best. Finally, it is important to openly discuss how you can hold each other accountable. Encourage everyone you work with to have the same type of conversations with other as well.
These conversations should be open, honest, and continue throughout the year. If you do this, you’ll see the power of vision come to life. They also help build trust, openness, and a recognition of the value of all members. Sharing your vision with others and asking others for feedback or help will allow everybody to help drive their own development as well. An ideas meritocracy can’t exist without these collaborative relationships because good ideas can come from anywhere and it takes the discussion of many ideas for the very best to come forward.