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The Value Of VisionYou Hit What You Are Looking AtBy Patrick Jinks, LSI Certified Coach |
When my brother taught me to drive a car, he gave me one tip that made all the difference: “Look ahead to the horizon, not the end of the hood of the car.”
I was so fixated on what avoiding the next pothole or crossing the center line, that my vision was focused on the wrong spot. By shifting my view to the horizon, I discovered I could see more AND still see directly in front of me. As a motorcycle rider, that is even more critical! “You hit what you’re looking at” they teach you.
Casting vision in an organization is the same. The best support you can give your team (especially in a time of crisis) is some vision of a path forward, even if it is imperfect. Help them lift their eyes to the horizon. Show them what is there.
In a time of uncertainty, what people fear most is the unknown (or the unseen). Isn’t that what vision is? Making the unseen seeable? Here’s another question. Would you and your team rather know what you are facing together, even if it is a difficult challenge? Does that beat fighting blind? If so, here is simple vision-casting technique I share with nonprofit CEOs I coach (keep in mind that this technique is applied during a crisis, like the current pandemic we all face that is hurting businesses financially):
Cast 3 Different Visions:
Vision #1 – The Best-Case Scenario - Outline the best case. No more revenue loss, sales pick up, no need to lay off any employees, everything is back to normal in a week, etc.
Vision #2 – The Worst-Case Scenario - Put a picture together of the worst possible outcome. The business loses 50% of annual revenue, furloughs 20% of the employees, etc.
Vision #3 – The Most Likely, or Targeted Scenario - Spend more time on this one. Explain to your team that scenarios 1 and 2 are not likely, but that you are prepared to face them together if needed. Then show them a path to the middle ground, where neither panic nor delusion win the day. Where practical steps can lead to success. Be specific. Let them see what is possible through that lens.
It is important to convey the three visions in the order presented here, because it disarms fear, and lands the focus where it should be – the perfect intersection between reality and possibility.
This method accomplishes several things:
1.It gives you, the leader, greater clarity and confidence.
2.It reduces fear among your team.
3.It puts everyone on the same page.
4.It gives the team a purpose – a renewed sense of mission.
5.It changes the tone and atmosphere of the workplace.
Of course, pursuit of the best-case scenario is valid. I am not suggesting that you and your team settle for mediocrity. I am merely proposing a path to the actionable, while leaving room for adapting to either better or worse conditions. The reality is that during a global event like a pandemic, there are obviously things beyond our control. This approach puts you back in the driver’s seat, which inspires the confidence of a team.
Help your team see the bigger picture. Watch them engage!
I was so fixated on what avoiding the next pothole or crossing the center line, that my vision was focused on the wrong spot. By shifting my view to the horizon, I discovered I could see more AND still see directly in front of me. As a motorcycle rider, that is even more critical! “You hit what you’re looking at” they teach you.
Casting vision in an organization is the same. The best support you can give your team (especially in a time of crisis) is some vision of a path forward, even if it is imperfect. Help them lift their eyes to the horizon. Show them what is there.
In a time of uncertainty, what people fear most is the unknown (or the unseen). Isn’t that what vision is? Making the unseen seeable? Here’s another question. Would you and your team rather know what you are facing together, even if it is a difficult challenge? Does that beat fighting blind? If so, here is simple vision-casting technique I share with nonprofit CEOs I coach (keep in mind that this technique is applied during a crisis, like the current pandemic we all face that is hurting businesses financially):
Cast 3 Different Visions:
Vision #1 – The Best-Case Scenario - Outline the best case. No more revenue loss, sales pick up, no need to lay off any employees, everything is back to normal in a week, etc.
Vision #2 – The Worst-Case Scenario - Put a picture together of the worst possible outcome. The business loses 50% of annual revenue, furloughs 20% of the employees, etc.
Vision #3 – The Most Likely, or Targeted Scenario - Spend more time on this one. Explain to your team that scenarios 1 and 2 are not likely, but that you are prepared to face them together if needed. Then show them a path to the middle ground, where neither panic nor delusion win the day. Where practical steps can lead to success. Be specific. Let them see what is possible through that lens.
It is important to convey the three visions in the order presented here, because it disarms fear, and lands the focus where it should be – the perfect intersection between reality and possibility.
This method accomplishes several things:
1.It gives you, the leader, greater clarity and confidence.
2.It reduces fear among your team.
3.It puts everyone on the same page.
4.It gives the team a purpose – a renewed sense of mission.
5.It changes the tone and atmosphere of the workplace.
Of course, pursuit of the best-case scenario is valid. I am not suggesting that you and your team settle for mediocrity. I am merely proposing a path to the actionable, while leaving room for adapting to either better or worse conditions. The reality is that during a global event like a pandemic, there are obviously things beyond our control. This approach puts you back in the driver’s seat, which inspires the confidence of a team.
Help your team see the bigger picture. Watch them engage!
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Patrick Jinks, is a multi-best-selling co-author with coaches such as Marshall Goldsmith and Jack Canfield, as well as a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and a regular contributor to Forbes.com. As an award-winning photographer, Patrick knows how to view leadership challenges through the right “lenses” to arrive at solutions. Patrick specializes in nonprofit strategy, leadership, and engagement. He was dubbed a “Game Changer®” in USA Today for his unique coaching approach to strategic planning, and a “Master of Success®” in the Wall Street Journal.
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