Leadership Skills in the Workplace

Maintaining Gains Made

LEADERSHIP BRIEFS

05 Vision

Objective

Create motivation and commitment by developing and articulating a vision for your team

Lesson

Without a clear mental picture of something you are seeking or wish to create, it is very difficult to make it happen. It’s easy to become somewhat like a boat adrift on a sea with no definite destination, floating and being blown as the wind and water dictate.

An organization needs to be a boat with a rudder – seeking a certain direction. But where does the rudder or the picture of what we are seeking as an organization come from? In the most successful organizations, there is a top leader or leadership group who clearly sees and communicates vision. Inspiration and direction come from this source.

Regardless of whether your vision from the top is strong, you can create inspiration and purpose within your own team. If you are the leader, then those under you look to you for their inspiration and sense of purpose.

Individually you can fuse the organization’s vision with your own personal sense of purpose. You are more effective in your leadership role when you love and believe in what you are doing. You can help others believe in it too, thus positively impacting motivation.

To help you clarify your team’s or unit’s vision, here are a few exercises to help you get started.

Question for Group Discussion

What is your company’s mission, as you would describe it (not necessarily what’s written on formal statements)?

Individual Activity

1. What do you stand for as a person? What’s important to you? Write for 90 seconds.

2. Now, for 90 seconds, write an answer to this question: If I had unlimited time and resources, what could I do to improve this organization?

3. How does your personal sense of purpose (as described in the Activity above) mesh with what you know of your organization’s mission? Ideally, there is some overlap. Draw two circles that show the degree of relationship between you and your organization.

Allow volunteers to share anything they care to.

Later: Consider writing a personal mission statement. What do you stand for, what’s important to you, and what’s your purpose in life?

Team Assignment

Ask participants to put up a large piece of butcher paper or poster in a conspicuous place in their department. Hang a marker on a string nearby. In large letters across the top, write the question “Why are we here?” and leave plenty of blank space. When team members ask about this poster, tell them to write their answer to the question. Leave it up for a week or so.

You may get some flippant or disrespectful answers, but you will also get some really good ones. At your next team meeting, choose the best one or combine several good ones into a team vision statement and post it, in nice lettering, in a visible place to help inspire everyone. Refer to this statement or phrase often in your daily activities. Use this language when you talk to team members and others.

Group Discussion

What potential benefit might this have for your team?


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