{"id":1905,"date":"2012-10-22T14:47:30","date_gmt":"2012-10-22T14:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/?p=1905"},"modified":"2021-01-15T22:28:42","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T22:28:42","slug":"a-four-step-model-for-communicating-change-and-setting-vision-taking-people-from-here-to-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/a-four-step-model-for-communicating-change-and-setting-vision-taking-people-from-here-to-there\/","title":{"rendered":"A four step model for communicating change and setting vision: Taking people from "here" to "there""},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vision<\/p>\n

How vision and change is communicated is critical in determining not only change success but whether a leader will have any followers.\u00a0 This is highlighted in a quote from a recent Washington Post blog post<\/a>\u00a0on the 2012 presidential election:<\/p>\n

\u201cRomney can tell you exactly what he wants to do, but barely a word about how he\u2019ll do it. Obama can\u2019t describe what he wants to achieve, but he can tell you everything about how he\u2019ll get it done.<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For those of us tasked with challenges smaller than winning the role of President of the United States, Vision plays a large part in any change initiative and goal setting exercise<\/a>.\u00a0 Yet are such endeavours dependent upon being or having a \u201cvisionary leader\u201d<\/a>? Are such leaders based solely on a roll of the genetic dice to determine an intuitive<\/a>\u00a0versus sensory<\/a>\u00a0personality type? For others not so endowed, can the process of setting vision be learned through some sort of model?<\/p>\n

The title of this post proposes this may be a possibility.\u00a0 I came across a model of vision casting a few months back and heard it reiterated by Bill Hybels at a recent conference<\/a>. The premise states that the role of leaders is to take people from a place called Here to somewhere else called There, clearly outlining Strategy and Next Steps. As highlighted by the Obama and Romney comparison, communicating this journey needs to consider all stages in the appropriate order.<\/p>\n

The vision casting journey<\/h2>\n

Step 1: Here<\/h3>\n

\"Vision<\/p>\n

The first step is to communicate why being Here is so unsatisfactory.\u00a0 Profits are low, customer satisfaction is down, volunteers or employees are not engaged, people are stressed, and life is generally not good.\u00a0 Similar to the first step of strategic planning<\/a>, we must all agree on our current situation. Succinct and clear communication of Here ensures everyone is ready to talk about There.<\/p>\n

Step 2: There<\/h3>\n

\"Vision<\/p>\n

There is nirvana, utopia, a \u201cbetter place\u201d.\u00a0 If not perfect, at least it will address the issues of Here.\u00a0 The description is believable yet compelling. How believable it needs to be depends on how badly people want to get out of Here, as sometimes people will embrace anything so long as it is not their current situation. The description of There is all hype, however, if not quickly followed by Strategy.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Strategy<\/h3>\n

\"Vision<\/p>\n

Strategy tells us how we will get from Here to There.\u00a0 A clear strategy ensures that we will stay heading in the general direction of There and that we expect to follow through and not stop short of reaching There.\u00a0 We need confidence that there is a plan.\u00a0 We acknowledge that the situation may change on our journey from here to there and we may not know everything that needs to be done.\u00a0 However, we do at least need to know our Next Steps.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Next Steps<\/h3>\n

\"Vision<\/p>\n

Next Steps tell us what we need to do as soon as we leave the board room, auditorium, or desk.\u00a0 These are clear, assignable, understandable and accountable.\u00a0 Everyone knows who is doing what, how, and by when.\u00a0 It is also clear where these Next Steps fit in the strategy and how they will help us get from Here to There.<\/p>\n

Step 5: Maintain<\/h3>\n

The most difficult part of change is the middle.\u00a0 The beginning is full of new excitement and close to the end you are almost at your goal.\u00a0 The model above forms a regular conversation with key stakeholders through your change process.\u00a0 What may have been a one-hour session in the beginning turns into a five-minute catch up through the week.<\/p>\n

You may spend a few minutes ensuring you all know where you came from (Here), another bit confirmation of where you are going (There), a half minute or so to reiterate the plan of attack (Strategy), and then cover off the current next steps. Rinse and repeat to create a cadence of conversation through the organisation to maintain momentum of change.<\/p>\n

The order is important<\/h2>\n

When casting vision, all aspects need to be present and each in the appropriate order.\u00a0 Common mishaps, many of which I have been guilty of, include:<\/p>\n