What's your process for developing a strategic vision?

While I agree with the heading of this section, I disagree with the "dive right into a SWOT analysis" mentality. A better step is to gather critical stakeholders and advisors who can help. While I am a visionary by nature, I have always found that the best ideas come from the synergy of the collective. Moreover, those stakeholders are far more likely to take ownership in the vision because they participated in the process. Thus get your team together first...then conduct your SWOT, PESTEL, or whatever methodology you choose.

A high-performing employee was delivering a briefing that recommended an interesting solution, when a senior leader paused and asked, "Before we continue, can you clearly explain the problem you are trying to solve?" This question, while often frustrating to answer, forces us to examine the most important, and often glazed over element of any business opportunity. I'm guilty of getting lost in solutioning, especially when you've stumbled on an innovative approach or novel idea. But if I can’t explain the problem in better detail than a proposed solution, I’ve likely chosen the wrong issue to solve.

I always like to first create a 'roadmap' in my mind but then get that on a document so one can clearly see the journey. In that roadmap there will be sections/parts where the journey must go through. It may be based on legislation, legal requirements, policy, etc. Once this exercise has been done it is far easier to even start thinking about a strategic vision.

Although the article highlights the significance of a strategic vision, but it's essential to stress that it all begins with clear Goals and a well-defined Mission. As the saying goes, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. Before digging into strategic planning, it's crucial to have a precise understanding of your current position, the purpose of your journey, the envisioned destination, and the intended route. While tools like the SWOT analysis are undoubtedly valuable, their true worth is unlocked within the framework of a well-defined trajectory. The article covers all pivotal aspects, but refining the flow for enhanced coherence would be helpful.

Start by assessing the current situation. Understanding where you are helps identify opportunities and challenges. Define the "why", the purpose and values that will anchor the strategy. Set clear, measurable goals to give direction and track progress. Remember that strategy is only half the battle; effective communication is crucial. "Your strategy is only as good as your ability to articulate it." Clear, simple communication is key. Break down complex ideas, engage stakeholders, and maintain consistency across all levels of the organization. Transparency and openness to feedback are essential to bring the strategy to life and ensure its success.

This can sometimes be disconnected to reality. Many organisations will define their purpose and value. However if you look at the culture of the organisation or assess how staff are feeling then it will be different to what senior leaders in the organisation believe. Every organisation will want to be perceived well and as best as possible. However, many fail to understand their main 'audience' which is the people that work for them so they end up delivering things that are 'text book' theory but actions speak louder than words and understanding the staff's psyche, sentiment and feeling is so important.

The vision should be distinct, specific and unique that should act as a direction and a guiding light for the responsible team members. Furthermore, the vision should be very focused, feasible and should make common sense and easily understandable and something to be an attention grabber. It is an identity marker of the company or the establishment and should be working from the core values.

To develop a strategic vision, a leader needs to do the following: 1. Find the WHY 2. Create a objective focused plan 3. Add mission and vision clearly 4. Identity the values 5. Process and strategy This will help leaders to create a strategic vision with clarity, purpose and alignments of goals.

One of my favorite learnings from Simon Sinek is his concept of a “just cause” rather than a vision. I.e. A picture of a future of the world that you would like to see and create, that is worth sacrificing for. And for a vision to achieve that, it must be 1. Resilient - not time-bound or have an expiration date 2. Inclusive - everyone in the organization and stakeholders outside must be able to contribute to it and feel like it’s theirs 3. Service-oriented: it cannot be self-serving, and must be about contributing or giving to others

Your executive presence and how you show up every day will constitute your personal brand at work. I recommend asking yourself these questions to define your purpose and values, which will in turn shape your personal brand: 1) What are the keywords that you want associated with you as an executive? Trustworthy, dependable, execution oriented, strategic, creative…? 2) Who are your leadership role models? What's your leadership style? What's your brand of leadership? 3) And don’t forget, it’s never to late to evolve your identity. Who do you want to become? and why?

Creating a strategic vision demands more than a stroke of brilliance; it necessitates the fusion of sagacity and audacity while shaping s vision that stretches far beyond the present confines. The vision statement must be a magnetic call to action. Crafting goals and objectives should paint a picture that galvanizes. They must be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For instance, consider the African Union's Agenda 2063, a visionary roadmap towards a prosperous and peaceful Africa, woven with tangible milestones and objectives. Finally, the execution is where the rubber meets the road. It's not just about laying out goals on paper; it's about the relentless pursuit of those objectives.

Developing a strategic vision is a team effort for me. I start by gathering insights from my team and stakeholders to understand their perspectives. Defining clear objectives that align with our goals is critical. I create a roadmap that outlines actionable steps, and I communicate this vision clearly to everyone involved. Revisiting the vision regularly keeps us aligned and motivated. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of shared purpose that drives us forward.

Here’s where vision starts taking shape. Think of goals as your big wins and objectives as the playbook to achieve them. For example, if your goal is to scale into new markets, your objectives might include hiring local talent or building partnerships within six months. Keep it focused. Too many priorities dilute execution. You’re a leader, not a firefighter—don’t chase every spark; commit to what matters most and make sure it ties back to the broader purpose.

I could relate shifting between long and short term goals to the book "Thinking fast and slow" by @Daniel Kahneman. An estrategic view needs to shift quickly between the big picture and the microscope view, just when needed. I am not and executive, but as a system thinker, I appreciate leaders with those skills.

Developing strategic vision involves setting clear, actionable goals and objectives. Drawing from my experience, it's vital to differentiate between broader goals (the overall targets and aspirations) and specific objectives (the measurable steps to achieve these goals). Questions like "What do we aim to achieve short-term and long-term?" or "What are our key performance indicators?" are crucial. This process demands a realistic assessment of available resources and a strategic approach to prioritize activities. It's about crafting a roadmap that not only guides but also allows for tracking progress, ensuring that the vision is not just aspirational but grounded in achievable, tangible milestones.

The term Strategic Vision is a bit confusing. I would rather talk about strategy and vision separately. Vision is a long-term aspiration, where as strategy is a path / means to get there. A well articulated strategy statement is a) simple enough that the team can understand and relate to it b) clear and concrete enough so that the team can deduce their own action plans from it and c) radical enough to stand out from the "usual" incremental approaches, to galvanize the team towards a bold goal. It requires a lot of hard work and brainstorming to tick all three boxes above, and hence we routinely see lofty yet hollow strategy statements.

When developing a strategic vision, one of the most critical actions is collaborating with key stakeholders—including employees, customers, investors, and partners. Engaging with these stakeholders ensures that the vision is not only forward-thinking but also resonates across different levels of the organization and its external partners. A collaborative approach helps align diverse perspectives with the overarching goals of the organization. Imagine a tech startup preparing to launch a new AI-driven product. Before crafting the vision, the CEO conducts several workshops with the product team, customer support, and investors. This is to gather insights about market trends, customer pain points, and technological challenges - and integrate.

In my experience strategy and vision both stands on its own. While vision is something "why" the world need you (read Company) and hence does not changes for years together while strategy is something focus on "how" to full-fill the set vision. Out of both strategy is what needs to have a solid process in place to stay SMART (Specific, measurable, Actionable, relevant and time bound) and shall have mechanism to communicate with all stake holders be it employees or customers or market.

As part of the OpenExo community, as a certified member, I highly recommend using the MTP model for your vision statement. MTP stands for Massive Transformative Purpose, and you can find all the details if you get on the openexo.com website's blog, or search after "exo mtp". MTPs provide focus to enable exponential growth, like in the case of Ted: Ideas worth spreading. Massive: Something audaciously big and aspirational. Transformative: Can cause significant transformation to an industry, community or to the planet. Purpose: There’s a clear “why” behind the work being done. Something that unites and inspires action.

A strategic vision isn't a short-term goal; it's a long-term perspective that transcends immediate challenges. It should be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances yet rooted in enduring principles.

Developing a strategic vision starts with clear communication, ensuring that the team and stakeholders understand the rationale and benefits. Implementing this vision requires actionable steps, monitoring, and constant adjustments based on feedback. I believe that leadership and engagement are paramount to successfully bring a vision to fruition.

Communicating and implementing a strategic vision effectively hinges on clarity and engagement. As a leader, it’s crucial to articulate the vision across different channels, ensuring it resonates with various stakeholders. Motivating and empowering the team is key—they need to embrace and drive the vision forward. This involves not just top-down communication but also fostering an environment where feedback is welcomed and acted upon. Monitoring progress and being adaptable to feedback and changing scenarios are essential. It's about creating a dynamic process where the vision is a living entity, evolving as necessary to stay relevant and achievable.

The bridge between a strategic vision and its realization is built through effective communication and implementation. A vision holds little value if confined within leadership. It's vital to clearly articulate this vision to all, ensuring understanding and alignment. Empower your team to act on the vision, adapt based on feedback, and regularly monitor progress. Ultimately, a strategic vision comes to life through collective belief and action.

A vision is only as good as your ability to communicate it. If your team doesn’t understand or buy in, it’s just words. When Howard Schultz returned to Starbucks, he didn’t just tell employees they’d refocus on the “Starbucks experience”—he showed them by shutting down all stores for barista retraining. Actions reinforce words. You need to embody the vision in your daily leadership. Host regular check-ins to reinforce progress, celebrate wins that align with your vision, and address gaps with transparency. If you’re not willing to lead the charge, don’t expect your team to follow.

While communicating the Vision, don't fail to implement it. No one loves plain talk, unless you are a politician or an actor.. perhaps. Nevertheless, aim to be an imple(mentor) and not merely a mentor. Be an action taker, results will follow through surely.

Creating the strategic vision should be an exciting and uplifting activity, that involves everyone in the company. You could run Vision, Mission & Values Workshops and get people doing small group work to come up with innovative suggestions. You can use fun activities like Dot Voting to identify ideas that really stand out. You can talk about the company vision in team as well as 1:1 coaching and ask people for their thoughts. The strategic vision is usually created by a small number of people, but if they can engage as many people as possible in the process, the vision will be much more richer and employees will be much more engaged at the implementation stage.

Remember that nothing is static. A strategic vision can be helpful at a point in time, but it can also become obsolete quickly if the assumptions and facts supporting it change. Make sure that you give yourself the grace to review all the components regularly. Where are you today as you travel your path? Are your assumptions still valid? You even have the option of changing your goal, as long as you are explicit about the change and the reasons for it. A strategic vision has no purpose on its own; it is in service to the business. Don't let it become the focus. Focus on the measurable goals you're working to reach.

I believe that Vision Statement is a good start but don't forget to develop your clear strategy, objectives and action plan too before or around you communicate your vision statement. Having a vision statement without having a clear strategy showing how you will achieve your vision would be dangerous. In other words, get ready to answer possible questions when you share your vision statement

For us at Kinetik, our strategic vision is our North Star—a guiding force that ensures we remain steadfast in our commitment to improving patient care. It's not just a roadmap; it's a promise to our patients and communities that we will continuously strive for excellence in healthcare delivery.

Developing a strategy requires a well-thought-out and prepared change management program to be implemented in tandem with it. Success attribution is another fundamental problem with strategy implementation in most organizations. It is true that the existence of a strategic plan does not guarantee success, but the lack of such planning guarantees failure sooner rather than later. Strategic planning is commonly misunderstood by small and medium businesses as being too complex to make and implement. In reality, a company's best strategy is one it can implement.