Trying to fold a strategic vision into the way people work can be a challenge. Finding ways to help everyone “see” the vision is what grants some organizations the mastery to direct their future as opposed to those that are always reacting to the world around them.
We’ll share some of the key takeaways on leadership and strategic vision that OnStrategy Chief Operating Officer Erica Olsen covered during her pre-summit presentations for the World Business of Leadership Summit (WBOLS).
Video: Overview of the Strategic Planning Process
The Six Vision Validators:
- Why do we exist?
- How will we behave?
- Where are we going?
- How will we succeed?
- What is most important right now?
- Who must do what?
Knowing how to answer these questions will help bring focus to the future for your company. It is the role of the leader, after all, to bring clarity on how the organization needs to move forward.
Key point:
Reaching a purposeful future state takes consistency in communication over time. In the course of a few weeks or a couple months, a good leader should be able to see examples about where the organization has done things exceptionally right or wrong in context of reaching a vision.
The difference between a good leader and a great leader is how these observations are communicated. Capturing behaviors in action with stories is one of the most powerful ways to reinforce a strategic vision. People listen to orders, people react to stories. Forging emotional ties to help people see their piece of the puzzle helps everyone not only understand, but also care about the big picture.
Once these connections are made, people can begin to recognize the importance of strategy in today’s work. More presentations on business leadership and other topics are available from the WBOLS free pre-summit offerings happening throughout the month of May. (See the list of free WBOLS training here.) Erica will be presenting again during the summit held June 17-June 28.
Happy Strategizing!
StrategyCheck
In what ways does your organization communicate internally about its vision?
For a deep dive on Vision Statements, check out our post on all things vision.
