How to Make a Vision Real
Vision statements have long bewildered and even amused employees who can’t possibly understand management’s folly of describing a future that may never materialize. The corresponding implementation plans inevitably fall victim to the streetwise who know “how things really work around here.” How can leaders keep urging employees to pull the troubled past toward a future they never seem to reach?I believe in visions not vision statements. Statements are static. Visions are organic and full of energy.
If a leader is able to articulate a future that resonates throughout the organization – a future that is visually imaginable (putting a man on the moon) or exceptionally simple (becoming the world’s favorite airline) – that future will become the magnetic north, the organizational focal point. Like a magnet, the future attracts many disparate piece to form a whole.
What can we learn from a world famous ballet choreographer on How to Make a Vision Real?
• Where does the vision come from?
• How does he communicate the vision?
• How much freedom does he give to the talented collaborators in interpreting his vision?
• How does he ensure that each person’s interpretation fits together into a powerful performance?
• On opening night how close is the actual performance to his original vision?