Vision is so important for the CEO, but how do we translate vision into action? How do we 
make the vision come alive throughout the organization? It sounds like a difficult problem—translating abstract ideas into practical steps for people to follow every day. In fact, there are concrete, practical techniques you can use to translate ideas (including “visionary” ones) into reality. The following is the first in a 3- part series of articles that will address this problem.
Some simple approaches will help the CEO leader initially move a vision or idea onto paper, for example an outline or even just a set of bullets. That initial stab can then serve as the starting point for the beginning of a strategic vision and/or plan.
Moving an idea, vision, or goal onto a strategic vision plan involves several factors and considerations.
One important consideration that is often overlooked is the importance of being able to recognize what achieving the vision looks like!
Suppose you have an idea, a vision - something the organization needs to pursue or achieve (you may have several such visions, so we will use multiple passes through the three step method described in this series of articles, to plan for each one). The following path should help you crystallize those visions, allowing you to put them on paper to serve as the organizational strategic vision plan.
Write down what the vision or idea for your company:
-
What is the vision? What does it look like, feel like?
-
Then step forward three years and write down what achieving that vision would mean, how you measure it and what the organization looks like now that has been achieved.
Now look backwards from that three-year horizon and write down the steps it took to get to that vision.
-
Include the full range of steps: training, changes in mindset and approach, changes in people, process and technology.
-
Brainstorm those first, then go back and put them in chronological order.
-
Now that you have the steps necessary to achieve the vision:
-
Assign functions, departments and/or people as the owner of each step.
-
Assign duration for each step (how long it will take to achieve each step).
-
Don’t be too concerned if resources do not exist or if you do not yet have the capacity or capability to carry out the tasks yet. Remember this is the vision. If it was important enough for you to have envisioned it and now be planning to execute it, then it is important enough for you to put sufficient resources behind it to achieve it.
-
Go back through this simplified three-step process now for each of your visions or ideas you want the organization to achieve and record the steps and resources to get you there.
Now what?
Now that you have the 10,000 foot overview of your visions, what the steps are to achieve them, and the resources required.
The strategic vision plan is a living document that should be reviewed periodically (at least quarterly) to test it: verifying that the vision is still correct. If not, then it is permissible, and in fact required, to modify the strategic vision plan and the subsequent action plans. Don't keep chasing an out-of-date vision when the market or some other outside force has made the vision obsolete!
The next installment of this article will detail the steps that are critical to the success of achieving your vision.
Click on Phil's picture to read his bio
Contact Phil at phil.wofford@newportboardgroup.com
image credit 99u.com
