Seven ingredients for a great organisational vision

(Align to the right spot)

People want to know why a particular direction was chosen. A good vision always addresses the ‘why?’ When defining the why of a transition it’s important to appreciate that different stakeholders have different interests. For example, process automation can cut cost for management, free up time for more interesting work for other employees and lower prices for customers. It’s important to address these reasons for change in your vision.

Does everyone know why we are changing from A to B?

People want to know why a particular direction was chosen. A good vision always addresses the ‘why?’ When defining the why of a transition it’s important to appreciate that different stakeholders have different interests. For example, process automation can cut cost for management, free up time for more interesting work for other employees and lower prices for customers. It’s important to address these reasons for change in your vision.

Are there enough examples of practical behaviour that inspire your team to act differently?

A vision concisely shows what is aimed for instead of using business jargon and abstract concepts. Imagine you’re at a party and you’ve had a few drinks; the music is nice and you discover some cool people dancing. But then, someone comes up to you and starts talking about a reorganisation, meeting customer demands, an IPO, return on investment and process optimisation. You get the point—people don’t like business jargon—not while at a party or even at work. It’s dead language: uninspiring, void of real meaning and hard to understand. That’s why a good vision displays concrete examples of what is aimed for instead of using abstract concepts. View a case.

Was a large group of people engaged in a co-creation process to create the vision?

A vision should be collectively defined by management and shared with key stakeholders throughout an organisation for feedback. It should not be designed by one visionary sitting at the top of a pyramid. A strong vision needs different perspectives from different people. That’s why a structured conversation between various stake holders enables them to combine and build upon each other’s ideas in a very effective way. This does not mean bringing everybody to the table right away though. It’s best to start with a managerial perspective, then share the draft with a broader audience to gather feedback. View a case with United nations. 

Is your vision broken into unique stories for different departments so everyone knows how to contribute?

The overall vision for an organisation translates all the way ‘down:’ from department, to team, to person. It should focus on essence, while at the same time have a clear need for more in-depth information. Departments, teams, and individuals will always ask: “What does this transformation mean for me?” In deep dives, the vision should be broken down into sub-chapters. The goal for any vision-driven organisation should be that all structures, products & services and individual acts can be explained in the overall vision.

Is the vision visible every day, in every meeting and repeated enough? Could you walk around and ask everyone to tell you what the vision is and get the same answer?

For a vision to drive change and become a reality, it should be visible and experienced in various ways, and on a frequent basis. There is no harm in repeating the message over and over again with: posters, email signatures, a movie, ambassador sessions, internal media campaigns, you name it. All to support and drive matching behaviour to make it all come true.

Is your vision, strategy or programme built upon great stories and not just factual statements?

An organisation is made up of its people, it should be the same for a vision. This means that a vision must be told, shared, and lived by the people. But this does not happen automatically. The best way to achieve this is to facilitate a process of story-building (rather than story-telling).

The idea is that the vision story is built, enriched and made more robust every time it’s told. No matter who talks about the vision, all stories should essentially convey the same idea. How it’s told and what details are shared vary depending on the person sharing the story. This method of story-building helps people connect with the vision on a deeper, more personal level and thus helps them find meaning in their work. At the same time, ownership is significantly strengthened, and the vision is anchored in the organisation. View a storytelling case with ING.