re-gather the next New Year's Eve, we see who made the most accurate predictions.
It amazes me how often the personal predictions of each other come true. Maybe it's the way they are stated. Rather than resolutions that often start with "I should" or "you should" words, the predictions are often stated in the future tense: "In 2002, you go back to school.... take that trip to China... leave that job." I surmise that stating the predictions out loud often starts a "self-fulfilling" prophecy.
To me, it's akin to the power of envisioning the future that I've seen work numerous times in client engagements.
Vision, as a concept
Organizational visions are graphic descriptions of an ideal future. They are statements of aspirations, not present circumstances. Usually, the primary audience is the organization's employees. Therefore, it is important that the statement inspires as well as defines. It must also be memorable.
A letter from the future
In a county in the Midwest, we were working with a gathering of about thirty stakeholders of the child protection system. In the room were elected officials, service agencies, providers, people who'd had kids taken from them, advocates, court personnel...you name it.
They were struggling to craft a statement of the results to produce - as a system, rather than separate parts. They were good people who wanted to do right by kids. But allegiances to their own organization's view of the world kept them 'blind' to the common ends.
My partner, Steve Struthers, who was working with them, divided them into dissimilar, small groups. On a flipchart, each group was asked to depict a vision of what could be accomplished if they agreed to work together. Some were quite inspiring.
Overnight, Steve struggled to craft a written document that captured the spirit of the raw material. His brainstorm? He wrote a letter from the kids of the future. He used the participants' most compelling images and words. He described in kids' terms how wonderful things were in the county now. Those 'future kids' sent thanks back to that roomful of people who had initiated it all.
The next morning the participants were asked to together read the letter out loud. It moved people. There were tears. They recognized their own work, but the letter helped them see the end results they wanted to accomplish. It articulated those results, literally in the voice of the customer.
Steve says, "What is most important is for people to have concrete images, not generic platitudes such as 'customer service is everybody's business.' What are people saying? What is physically different? What things are no longer around?"
He especially liked stating how each of the stakeholders behaved in that future view of the system. He wrote these behaviors as best admonitions - to the courts, to the caseworkers, to the service providers. One example: "Occasionally, some of us [children] have to be removed from our homes for our safety. When this happens, people listen to us. They tell us what is going on. We can find out what's going on in court. So can our parents. Decisions are made fairly and quickly, and people's rights are respected."
The breaking news...
As part of a formal strategic planning process in 1998, we helped another agency articulate their future. There were scheduled open sessions for employees to stop by. They were given quiet time to write out images of success. These images were shared with all.
What was neat here is that the people themselves, not PSG, took the raw material and made it compelling. Using desktop publishing, they produced a newspaper front page - from five years in the future. As this was a Federal agency, the newspaper was classic Washington. It included who would be President. But it also talked about a staunch congressional opponent of the agency. The article stated that he had ascended to a higher level of authority - which brought groans - but added this quote, "We have fought our battles, but today I salute you for a job well done."
This agency had been created with a five-year sunset. Some of the employees had signed up because it was to be sunset - they wanted to do something meaningful and fast. The centerpiece article told of the agency's glorious completion of their mission - and foretold what some employees had gone on to do after leaving the agency.
These concrete articles helped people put real contextual meaning around what had previously been just words.
Sometimes it takes a single line...
One agency had spent a lot of time working on their vision of their desired organizational culture. It was two pages of writing - containing their values and good verbiage on learning and high performance. It included the commonly repeated line: "Employees are our most valuable resource." It was good, but not memorable.
One of my partners, Babak Armajani, helped them cut to the chase. They decided to scrap their longer version and just use:
"We are so pleased with our work experience that we want our children to work here."
Sometimes it takes a single picture....
To visualize an end state, it's sometimes best to create a visual. The most striking example for me occurred several years ago during our work within the Minneapolis Public Schools. I had asked people to name the "Best Possible Outcomes" of a new undertaking we were launching - to get people to consider what just might be possible.
Most people used words to express their 'hopes' for the future. But, one principal stood up and showed her contribution. It was a drawing of a large ship with many children on board. The ship was on a stormy sea-wind and lightning surrounded the ship. And the children's faces were scared. She said, "This is like our schools today. Our kids are living in a sea of ignorance and hopelessness, and the storm is raging. But, we are going to a calmer place filled with learning and student achievement. And, you know what, not ONE child is going to get swept overboard. Not ONE child is going to get lost."
Throughout the time I worked at the schools, that picture guided me. And, long after I have forgotten all the words from the other participants, I can still see that picture vividly and recall her voice. That is an INSPIRATIONAL vision.
Other "cool" methods...
We have used other methods to help people transport themselves to a future place that's different than the world in which they currently live. Some clients have written songs. Others have made movies. We have had acted as a future anthropologist who looks back at an agency's progress and "unearths" the milestones that were needed along the way.
Whatever method your organization uses, remember two words - inspirational and memorable. Steve adds, "A vision shouldn't paint a world 20 years out-you'll lose people. But in five to seven years, a lot can be different." Research shows that people overestimate what can be done in one year's time and dramatically underestimate what can be done in five. For five-year visions, think BIG thoughts.
A fresh New Year awaits. Get going... and send me a letter from your future!
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