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Helen Keller was once asked, "What's the only thing worse than
losing your sight?" Her response..."Losing your Vision."
You may not realize
it, but as a manager you must often serve as a navigator. You
set the course for your sales team, or for your department. You
set a course for yourself. You help your staff set their courses
individually, and within the team context. You are constantly
navigating. You map your territories, chart steps to take,
sample the conditions, correct others who have strayed off
course, and try to reach destinations determined for you, in
large part, by the company.
The course the
company takes is largely determined by its vision, just as the
course we take in life as individuals is determined by our
personal vision. When personal visions and goals are in
alignment with team visions and goals as well as company visions
and goals, a powerful synergy is created throughout the company.
Part of what you have the power to do as a manager is to work to
shape your vision, the vision of those on your staff, and the
vision of the company in a way that gives meaning to the goals
you work to set.
Know your company's
vision. A vision is different from goals or a mission. It
expresses a view of what could be. Knowing and sharing that
vision can motivate and inspire us to reach our goals. Determine
your company's vision, and share that vision with your staff.
This creates a context in which company goals make personal
sense to employees, which in turn is a powerful motivating
dynamic.
Allow yourself to
dream. Dream about what could be. Your dreams can be
pie-in-the-sky, personal, professional, or familial. Take a few
deep breaths, and allow your mind to relax. Dream about your
staff and about your team as a whole. Start with what is, but
then move to thoughts about what could be. In your dream world,
there is no analyst or critical judge. Don't think of your team
in the same way a realist would think of them. There are no
negatives, only possibilities. What ideas come to mind?
Involve everyone who
might be affected. A leader with a vision needs to share that
vision with everyone who will be affected by it. The navigator
informs the crew. The crew knows the destination. They are then
empowered with the capacity to share in the pursuit of the
vision, and the attainment of the goals.
Establish a plan of
action to achieve the vision. It is possible to move what is
closer to what could be, but not alone and not without a plan.
The last step in visioning is to establish a plan of action.
Develop the goals that give life and action to the vision. Here
is where leader and follower are joined in their commitment to
the vision.
Think about how your
personal vision and goals fit with the vision and goals of your
company. It is a good fit, or a forced fit? The best fit is when
your vision coalesces with the company's vision. When your
achieving your goals helps the company achieve its goals,
synergy is created. Imagine what would happen if the vision of
each team member coalesced with your vision for the team? What
if their goals led to attainment of your goals? If you were to
set out to make some or all of your visions become a reality,
what goals would you set to get there, in the real world?
We have taken a new
look at setting the course, at navigating towards company, team
and personal goals. We have seen that the most meaningful and
vibrant goals grow out of clear visions of what could be, our
skillful dreaming about possibilities. Every vision should be
shared with everyone who is affected by it. Leading and
following go hand-in-glove between those who are committed to a
shared vision. This creates a much more powerful commitment than
just being committed to a person, or to one's self and one's
income. And, it leads to the development of a plan, including
meaningful goals which advance the vision toward reality.
© Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
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