Envision the Future

Tuesday, April 4 2023

Leaders facing the demands of their organization don’t often take time to envision the future to see what could be. A clear, well-articulated vision is essential for leading an organization to new heights.

Envision the Future

Build your vision upon reality. Review your organization’s history then identify notable successes and pinpoint what helped to achieve them. Your key strengths lie here.

  • Look at the environments your organization impacts to identify trends by searching for unfolding, unfulfilled needs and more plentiful resources. These suggest opportunities for growth.
  • Recognize how your key strengths overlap with key opportunities to determine strategic advantages.
  • Articulate your mission and values as a basis for your future.

Visualize What Could Be

Have everyone responsible for the long-term health of the organization look forward five or more years. They should articulate their dreams in the form of a story, letter or video because the foundation for your vision of the future is found in the common, most passionate components of these dreams.

Have them:

  • Articulate these across business perspectives such as markets, customers, knowledge and skills, processes, technology and innovation using statements that begin, “We envision….”
  • Translate these into objectives so you can state what the organization will do and how it will develop in the future.
  • Bring the future back to the present by taking each objective and answering, “If we are to be there in five years, where must we be in four years…. in three… in two… in one. Then, craft the last statement as a specific, measurable goal.
  • For each goal, assign a champion responsible for developing a plan with specific milestones over the year. Then, build a team to execute the plan.
  • Meet monthly with every champion to hear successes, shortfalls and requests for help.

The accumulated reality of weekly actions, reaching milestones and accomplishing goals will turn the vision into reality. When everyone is pursuing the same vision, actions are given direction and meaning. Those who see they are contributing to something important will work smarter, and collectively they will carry the organization to new heights.

Having a trained, objective coach to facilitate strategic planning can make the difference between getting to the future, or becoming mired in uncertainty, so contact one of our coaches to discuss how we can help.