A Unified Vision
I recently read an article about how to effectively share your vision. Getting on the same page with a group of people can be difficult. I realize this as the Interstates Construction leader team works to define their annual team outlook (vision). According to the author of the article, quality dialog among people is essential to a shared vision. People need an opportunity to work their personal priorities and vision into the organization’s vision. Ultimately, the vision must be a combination of what the team believes as well as a framework for the future. Additionally, the framework must be able to incorporate the key visions of the followers. As the organization matures, it will start to share a unified vision. Furthermore, the greater aligned everyone is, the more powerful the vision.
An additional idea that worked into this discussion was that of accountability. Many of us wouldn’t connect “accountability” with “vision”. But for great accountability to happen, the picture of what the completed assignment will look like, feel like and be like, needs to be shared between the leader and the person performing. This “shared vision” on an assignment is the necessary setup for accountability. With this shared vision, owned by both participants, success is almost inevitable and everyone is pulling for the same outcome.
Believe It and Achieve It
Napolean Hill is often quoted with, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” I believe vision is the essence of this statement. Whether it be personal or organizational, the clearer we can see what we want to achieve, the more successful we will be. Creating a vision is hard work. Not only for me personally, but for leaders in general. Working on your personal vision can be a frustrating process. It is definitely not a “one shot” deal and can take years of effort. Distill an effective vision by listening to others, yourself (your gut), and working through a host of options. Vision creation is not for the faint of heart, yet anyone can accomplish this with enough dedication.
Over the years, I’ve learned that a vision is powerful. To develop something powerful and worthwhile, requires hard work and persistence. How are you investing in your vision?
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Keep leading the Interstates way!
Dave Crumrine, Interstates Construction President
