| Why would you head
down a strange path to reach a destination that holds
no interest, to secure a future you can’t see –
and without a map? When it comes to change, that’s
what many of us ask employees to do. So, how do we create
a compelling vision that visits the future and draws the
path to successful change? Get a vision
A compelling vision for a change initiative
is likely to:
- be based on an objective assessment and description
of the current state
- suggest a destination that impresses customers,
strikes at competitors, and offers real pride in performance
- explain why its good for customers, the company
and its workforce
- appeal to employees
- be achievable
A compelling vision is not just creating impressive
visuals and media messages and wheeling out the top
team to impress the workforce. It’s about showing
people a different view of the world. Not a different
world but from a different angle. ‘Leaders give
meaning to the work of others,’ is one of the
best definitions of leadership and encompasses this
idea of seeing the world differently. Leaders are required
at all levels of the organisation.
Get into a state
Many companies who have taken on board Business Excellence
will recognise the term ‘desired state’
– a detailed description of how they would like
their business, and every function of their business,
to be. It is a vision of how things may be improved
and the impact it should have on quality and customers.
Importantly, this visioning exercise stems from their
description of the ‘current state’.
This is an exercise which involves the whole company
at functional and cross-functional levels. It is informed
by benchmarking the best and sharing the models. It
asks employees to contribute to the picture. It sets
ambitious goals. Most of all, it engages, demands ideas
and helps employees and managers to create the maps
of ‘how to get there’.
Get real
In reality, the top team will have taken a view already
on where the company needs to be and will undoubtedly
be on the way to telling the workforce. Intervene. This
may be their business strategy – it’s not
a communication strategy. It is likely to be a tactic
which will misfire, depending on how poorly they have
judged their employees.
Better to take some time at this point to develop a
strategy which contextualises change within the everyday
reality of the workforce and works out the key messages
which will get people to first ‘reflect’
and then to begin thinking about the possibilities of
change. If the top team have not got down to this level
of detail, then communication should be the prompt!
Get the facts
What is the evidence for how things are now and why
they need to change? This can be compelling, especially
if you are likely to fall prey to an unwanted merger,
competitors moving in on your market share or services
and products becoming unwanted in a changing market.
Get the story
Every company has successes. Show how these successes
illustrate the power to win. Successes are facts. Facts
build confidence. Confidence is better than hope. Tell
the stories, show what the organisation is capable of.
Get involved
Don’t tell people that the organisation has to
change and not show them the map of how it will be achieved,
the timescales, the participation required from them
and the trust. Make sure that your communication has
this involvement and expectations fully mapped.
Get communicating
If this all sounds a lot to put in place before you
communicate the compelling vision, then start mobilising
thought: communicate about the need for change and what
the company is doing. Ask others for their observations,
criticisms and insights. Keep communicating until the
organisation is ready to present its compelling vision.
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