KEEP “VISION” CENTER STAGE

Recently, when coaching an eager, high-potential manager, our conversation drifted to the importance of communicating the organization’s vision effectively. An organization’s vision is so often bantered around in first-quarter planning sessions among the top- and middle-level managers but gets little exposure to worker bees who are supposed to make things happen. Also, over a short period, even key managers take their eyes off the vision ball. So, it was appropriate to ask the question about whether the company's vision is alive and well within this high-potential manager’s own team.

The question led to a lively discussion, especially given the fact that he, like many of my other clients, is continuing to work remotely. We ended our session with a few good takeaways:

1.    Periodically check yourself.

As I mentioned to this manager, periodically check yourself and ask, “When was the last time I talked about the company's vision?”

It's easy to get into the habit of focusing on the work to be done and overlooking the "why" or "the bigger picture." So, be sure, when assigning tasks, to link the task to the vision.

2.    When assigning tasks, explain specifically how they link to the vision.

Make a point of describing how the tasks link to the vision, versus simply saying, "what we are embarking on aligns with our vision." Saying that does little to inspire people let alone reminding them what the vision is. It's essential that you mention what the vision is and how accomplishing the tasks helps to bring the vision into becoming a reality.

One final note: Every once in a while, ask, "Is anyone else mentioning our vision, or am I the only one?"