Vision: A Driving Force (adapted from The Subtle Art of Strategy by Ian Wilson)

“Without a vision, the people perish” is an often-quoted Scripture from the book of Proverbs.  And I believe it.  Nothing sets the leader apart from the manager more than a belief in (and the use of) the power of a strategic vision.  In fact, the author claims “vision is the central driving force of strategic management.” 

So what is vision anyway?  One definition states that vision is “the ability to perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness and keen foresight.”  That definition reminds me how faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 (Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.)  In any event, I subscribe to the principle that faith should be foundational in the development of any vision that deals with a Christian organization.

But what is “strategic vision”?  The author defines strategic vision as a coherent and powerful statement of what the business can, and should, be __ years hence.  Vision not only sets direction but also provides a destination.  

By coherent he means that the vision must pull together the mission, goals, strategies and action plans into a complete and recognizable picture of the future company and how it got there.  That is, if our assessment of the future is correct, and we succeed in doing everything that our strategy has planned, this is what the company will look like. 

The vision must also be powerful, capable of generating strong commitment and motivating superior performance.  The vision must be inspiring.

The vision must be realistic based on an assessment of what is attainable in the market, the competitive, economic, and regulatory environment in which the company operates and what the company’s real capabilities are.  Stretch goals are fine, but nothing dampens enthusiasm more than “the impossible dream.” 

Certainly vision alone accomplishes little.  Implementation of strategy is a messy, and sometimes very frustrating, process.  But vision can provide the enthusiasm and commitment needed to get over the “bumps in the road.” 

Creating a vision for your organization is not a completely rational process.  There is a place in the process for intuition and inspiration.  However, the author does suggest some loose guidelines that might help you in your visioning.

The Visioning Process 

·        Think of an iterative process.  A vision gains clarity and strength from tentative formulation, reflection and analysis, testing, revisiting, and revising.  Introduce it early in your strategic planning process and then work on it as you gather more strategic information.  Allow the vision to evolve.

·        Analyze the company’s future business environment.  What will the future allow your or force you to be?

·        Analyze the company’s resources and capabilities (actual and potential).  Think about your competitors during this analysis.  Realistically, what can you become?

·        Clarify management values.  Don’t assume everyone in the organization shares a set of common values.  What do we want to be?

·        Develop (or revise) your mission statement.  Think broadly and imaginatively about the markets or customer needs that the company will serve (rather than about the products and services you will offer).  Why should we exist?

·        Identify strategic objectives (broad-based) and goals (milestones).  That is, what is the future agenda of the company?

·        Generate and select strategic options.  Stretch your imagination to consider alternate strategies—different and creative ways to deal with future opportunities and threats.  Consider the pros and cons of each option.

·        Develop the vision statement. 

·        Conduct a sanity check.  Make sure the final vision statement is grounded in reality and practicality.   

Visioning is a values-laden, emotional process and thus determinative input must be sought from company insiders.  After all, they will be tasked with implementing the vision.  In addition, seek help from outsiders who can make valuable contributions with their knowledge of markets, competitors, etc.   

Last, but not least, the CEO must be the driver behind any vision.  Nothing truly succeeds without a Champion.   

So there you have it.  Vision can be (should be) a driving force within your organization.  If you operate a Christian-owned organization, your vision must coincide to some degree with Christ’s vision for mankind in general and your organization and you in particular.  Your vision should involve both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in some form.  Your vision must capture the essence of your personal relationship to a creative God Who can help you develop an organization that truly meets the needs of those who come in contact with you and your company.  Vision—it matters.  What’s your VISION?    

Keith 

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