Vision describes a direction and desired achievement, providing others with motivation, purpose, and a sense of clarity. More than a finite objective or a mission statement that describes a reason for being, a vision looks to the long-term future.
Whatever their vision may be, a key job for leaders is communicating and creating commitment to that vision. Without a clearly articulated and understood vision, employees may disagree about values and be unwilling to change or to be influenced in a particular direction. They may misunderstand the leader's intent or have trouble imagining the future state expressed in the vision. Effective communication of the vision is vital.
This chapter focuses on how to communicate vision effectively, even when your audience is resistant and even when you find yourself resistant to the direction. You'll learn how to help others understand the vision, remember it, be a part of it, and go on to share it themselves.
AT THE CONTROLS OF THE JUMBO JET'S FUTURE
In the high-flying competition between Airbus and Boeing to produce the preeminent commercial aircraft in the sky, there are no just-in-time changes in course. Plans and orders for the Super-Jumbo Airbus or Boeing's 787 Dreamliner are set years in advance.
So when Boeing found itself in a battle for the future with Airbus, company executives enlisted an unlikely ally: the very machinists Boeing had negotiated with in a combative 2014 contract extension. Only by being open with workers, Boeing leaders decided, could the organization achieve the buy-in it needed to prevail. Managers began sharing with them market information they had previously withheld.
“These are not the kinds of conversations that we've had with the workforce, all the way to the factory floor,” CEO Ray Conner told investors, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. “We're bringing the whole game to them so they can understand exactly how they fit into the entire system.”
By clearly communicating a vision and being open with employees, company leaders appealed to the competitive mindset of a common organizational objective.
How might you be transparent and actively incorporate others into your vision?
THE POWER OF VISION
Leaders in today's organizations face issues of growth, change, customization, globalization, and technology that force them to create new pathways toward success and sustainability. But a newly blazed trail cannot itself create the necessary focus, tactics, and foresight to address these issues. As CCL's Kate Beatty and David Dinwoodie point out in Becoming a Strategic Leader, many organizations that falter in implementing their strategic vision have failed to effectively communicate their strategies. As a result, employees do not understand their role in implementing the organization's mission and strategy.
As the Boeing experience suggests, leaders can adopt tactics for coordinating messages and creating alignment among employees at every level. One effective tactic is to transmit strategic intent through a vision that clearly captures the organization's direction and defines its destination.
imaginable—creates an accessible picture of the future
inspiring—ignites desire and personal connection to values
realistic—is achievable, with focused direction and distinguishable outcomes
flexible—offers space to grow, adapt, and develop
clear—is easily communicated and understood
compelling—moves people to action
You may have heard the saying that a person who does not read is no better off than a person who cannot read. It's much the same with vision statements. Having a vision but not communicating it isn't much of an improvement over not having a vision at all.
As a leader, you're in the role of an early adopter. Your job is to communicate the vision to others in ways that will help them understand it, remember it, internalize it, and then go on to share it themselves. In this way, the vision becomes a bright lantern leading your organization on its path.
“IT'S KIND OF FUN TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.”
— WALT DISNEY
Before we share our insights on communicating a vision, consider the ten behaviors listed below that typify a vision-driven leader; identify the three that you feel you are currently strongest in and the corresponding three that you feel are most in need of development.
| STRENGTH | NEED |
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Has a clear direction for the organization's future. |
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Connects his or her vision to real business outcomes. |
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Translates his or her vision into clear actions. |
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Shows passion for a vision of the future. |
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Stays focused on his or her vision. |
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Tells stories to capture the hearts and minds of followers. |
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Communicates his or her vision in a way that is meaningful and memorable. |
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Draws people together to share in his or her vision. |
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Repeats his or her vision to ensure that it is heard. |
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Takes advantage of multiple media to communicate vision. |
Take a moment to reflect on how your perceived strengths and corresponding development needs in this area have played out in the past and currently. As you progress through this chapter, keep in mind how you might augment or leverage these approaches.
One part of a leader's job is to create commitment to and alignment with the organization's picture of future success. But it's not enough just to say it. The vision has to be communicated with conviction and it has to be broadcast widely. Adopting these three mindsets will help.
CHANNEL YOUR PASSION
In order to inspire commitment to a vision, a leader needs to have an effective way to communicate it. Presumably, the leader supports the vision and can draw on his or her personal passion and professional commitment and credibility to be dynamic in presenting it to others.
NEVER STOP
You can never communicate too much. Treat every communication effort as though it is your most important attempt at getting the message out. People need time and opportunities to hear it, to separate the message from the noise of change. It takes more than one memo or speech to capture attention and build support.
CONNECT WITH HEAD, HEART, AND HANDS
When communicating a vision, we want people not only to understand the vision but also to remember it—and then to communicate it to others. The most effective route into memory varies from person to person, so take a diversified approach. In terms of an organizational vision, people need to understand it, believe in it, and follow it, so focus on appealing to the head, heart, and hands in your communication. Craft a communication that helps people to:
- UNDERSTAND THE VISION INTELLECTUALLY AND MENTALLY
- ACCEPT IT EMOTIONALLY AND PERSONALLY
- PUT IT INTO CONCRETE ACTION
VISION DILEMMAS: CASCADING THE VISION
Communicating a vision is hard work. It's even harder when you are having to relay someone else's vision and inspire others. It's harder yet when you either don't fully understand or support that vision. Here are a few alternatives to consider in these less-than-ideal circumstances:
DON'T SAY: “This wasn't really my idea, but let's give it a try until there's something better.”
INSTEAD SAY: “I don't know everything about this yet, but I'm committed to it.”
DON'T SAY: “I had a different plan, but this is what they said, so let's get on with it.”
INSTEAD SAY: “I'm fully on board with this, even though I'm still learning about it.”
DON'T SAY: “I know this is stupid, but let's try to make the best of it, okay?”
INSTEAD SAY: “I'm learning along with you, so let's all be patient with any confusion or uncertainty.”
Leaders who communicate the vision of their organization help employees see the importance of what they are doing. They communicate their passion to others, inspiring them and sparking them to take action. When you have gained skill in communicating your vision, you will be able to communicate a meaningful, ambitious vision for your organization that others will find motivating and attainable.
TELL A STORY
Stories give life to a vision and animate abstractions with common values and truths. By capturing both the heart and mind of the audience, stories establish common ground between the teller (the leader) and the audience (managers, employees, and other stakeholders). A story is a powerful tool for disseminating vision because it is easier for people to retell a story than a vision. In this way, stories create a ripple effect.
PREPARE AN ELEVATOR SPEECH
Not every situation lends itself to stories that take time to unwind, and that is where the 30- to 60-second elevator speech comes in. An elevator speech is a concise and convincing statement that communicates the vision in a carefully crafted sentence or two. Politicians, who thrive in a world of sound bites, are masters of the elevator speech that distills complicated positions into short, memorable statements. With practice and preparation, you can master it too. In a few minutes around the water cooler, in line at the cafeteria—or literally in an elevator—you can deliver a message that sounds natural and carries a sense of excitement.
“THE MOST COURAGEOUS ACT IS STILL TO THINK FOR YOURSELF. ALOUD.”
— COCO CHANEL
In our iPhone- and FaceTime-addicted world, actual face time sometimes seems a relic, as do posters and business card reminders. Our friends in marketing know better. The more channels you open, the better your chances of communicating, because not every method works with everybody. Your organization's vision should be out front on its website, but don't forget the tangible places: coffee mugs, T-shirts, letterhead, luggage tags, pencils, notepads—anything to keep your message out there. Repetition aids retention.
ENGAGE AN AUDIENCE OF ONE
Another effective strategy for communicating your vision is connecting with others in one-on-one conversations, which can be an extraordinarily effective way to communicate. These conversations give leaders concentrated opportunities to transmit information, receive feedback, build support, and create energy around the vision. A leader's skill at communicating a compelling and clear vision of the future is critical to fostering these deep connections.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
Leaders can inspire themselves and others by tapping into their personal visions. Someone with a personal vision of leadership that includes serving others so that more caring and appreciation can be brought into the world can inject the core of that vision into conversations about conflict, influence, power, strategy, empowerment, and many other leadership topics. Just a mention, in the context of personal relationships, can inform others and inspire them to think of the purpose and vision for their own leadership. Just as important, it keeps that particular leader inspired and aware of his or her own vision and invites rededication to it.
TESLA'S VISION:
THE POWER OF SUNLIGHT
One of the many leadership lessons one can glean from Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is the power of transparency. In 2016, when the South African-born Musk unveiled “Part Deux” of his master plan to create a solar car, it was bold but not stunning. After all, that goal had been announced on Tesla's website ten years earlier.
“Starting a car company is idiocy,” Musk wrote of his need for transparency, “and an electric car company is idiocy squared.”
The need to communicate his end-stage vision—nothing less than producing a high-volume, self-driving, solar-powered car—was key. Unless the company could explain why it was producing in its first phase a low-volume, expensive car—about 100,000 units on the road as of 2016, with a base price of about $57,000—it would just be seen as a luxury car for the very rich.
But if Musk could explain Tesla's strategy, which was to use the profits for its pricey Roadster and Model S to fund research and development of an affordable electric car, both stakeholders and consumers would regard Tesla differently.
Beyond Tesla, Musk's ambition was to shake up the auto industry itself by inspiring technological innovation and new sales models, for example selling direct to customers instead of dealerships. Within its first decade, the company prompted General Motors to develop an electric car, and it had some success in removing historical barriers to the direct sales model.
Musk has been his own spokesman about what Tesla is competing against: “150 years and trillions of dollars spent on gasoline cars.”
How might you challenge conventional wisdom and established ways of doing things with a clear, transparent vision that signals meaningful change?
Details count when communicating your vision. Use the following criteria to craft a compelling message that engages head, heart, and hands.
| Vision Elements | Definition | Ideas |
| INSPIRATIONAL IMAGERY | USE OF A DYNAMIC INTERACTION STYLE | |
| INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE | USE OF WE, OUR | |
| CLARITY | CLEAR, UNAMBIGUOUS STATEMENTS | |
| CHALLENGE | LANGUAGE AND IDEAS THAT MOTIVATE PEOPLE | |
| TASK AND GOAL SPECIFICATION | STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLANS |