Why should you create a vision? Researchers have closely studied successful people for years to identify common characteristics that contribute to success. While they haven’t identified specific common characteristics, they have found that successful people can picture the desired future and develop actionable strategies to create that future.
Organizations are no different. One of four common characteristics of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winners is that all had a vision of what quality was and how they would achieve it (Hodgetts, 1993). A vision is an essential element in organizational success. It provides direction and drives everything that is done in an organization. The visioning concept, vision trilogy, and the 8-step visioning process bridge the gap, so a vision can be any organization’s key to success.
The vision is that perfect state that might never be reached but which one never stops trying to achieve. For a vision to be successful, it must empower. For a vision to be successful, it must empower. Empowerment combines motivation to act, authority to do the job, and the enablement to get it done. Enablement requires a vivid picture of the destination.
The visioning process provides structure to the seemingly structureless concept of creating a vision. The eight steps of the visioning process are (a) collect input, (b) brainstorm, (c) shrink the mess, (d) develop a rough draft. (e) refine the statements, (f) test the criteria, (g) obtain organization approval or make modifications, and (h) communicate and celebrate. | Download Article
Latham, J. R. (1995). Visioning: The Concept, Trilogy, and Process. Quality Progress, 28(4), 4.
Reference
Hodgetts, R. (1993). Blueprints for Continuous Improvement, Lessons from the Baldrige Winners. American Management Association Publications Division.
