Building and Communicating Vision
Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing the importance of leading change in our institutions through implementing a thriving mindset, a healthy sense of urgency, and navigating shock factors. As we continue to adapt to change and learn how to thrive, we must grasp the importance of developing a vision and communicating it to our team.
How can we imagine a sustainable, satisfying future where we are being productive and not feeling overwhelmed? In the midst of decision-making, we sometimes lack a vision of what is possible and are instead be resigned to our current situation. Having a vision allows us to move from complacency towards what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. In moving forward, let’s focus on aligning our resources to improve and using vision to understand our ‘why.’?
Here’s where we are. Here’s the opportunity. The power of vision is “I don’t want a team that likes complacency and languishing around.” I don’t think it's healthy for us. There’s too much to do in higher education.
- Matt Boisvert
The Why Behind Your Vision
As we look to the future, we must know the value of the work we are doing and the opportunities we have been given. Remember, vision applies to every department of an institution. Each person–from the president to the university bookstore manager–can use vision to understand where they can make a difference and what areas they have influence over.
When it comes to vision, some people prefer to live in the glue and others prefer to work through the grease. Will you choose to stay in your history and heritage? Or will you decide to move toward the next problem and focus on how to move forward?
Change is a place to flip from “This is a disaster. What are we going to do?” to “What’s the vision for the future? How are we going to impact that for good?”
- Rachel Phillips-Buck
The first thing to do when you’re looking at your vision is to identify your core values. Where do you spend your resources? What are the iconic practices your institution performs? Make it a practice to understand whether or not your decisions line up with what you value. Identify those core values as well as the things that no longer represent your values and goals in your institutions to shape your vision moving forward.?
How To Start Building A New Vision
After identifying our core vision, we take a step back to start building a new vision and ask ourselves two clarifying questions: “What if?” and “What will it take?”?
What if we perform excellently? What if we do terribly? What are the remarkable outcomes we would like to achieve? What is the vision we would like to drive toward? What is going to take for us to get there?
What about for us in our professional and personal lives, let’s not say "I don’t have time for that today.” Let’s make it a priority and say "What is our vision? How are we going to manage change?"
- Rachel Phillips-Buck
After figuring out the steps you would like to take, make sure your team is on the same page. Prepare for the toughest barriers, whether it’s logistics or people. In creating your solid inner circle, consider people who will allow you to see the value in shifting from what is impossible to what it would take to accomplish it. Inviting curmudgeons into your thought process will allow you to hear and adapt to the things you would never imagine.?
Communicating the Vision
A vital part of communicating your vision amongst your team is understanding that the coalition you have built is the role model of the behavior that is expected in response to this vision. Help everyone understand the reasoning behind why you are making this decision and communicate the most accurate information about how to move forward.?
Identify those situational factors that influence how you will launch your vision forward. Don’t overlook the impact of timing in how much collaboration or support you can build. Prepare for the resistance you might receive and what team members will be behind that resistance when you start to share your vision.
The biggest challenge of opportunity change is that it doesn't have the pressure of a threat. Tunnel vision acts as a barrier to upstream thinking while navigating a vision allows you to better understand how you can manage change going forward. Hold space and think about how you want to do things differently.
As you move forward with your plans for developing vision in 2022, here are some questions to think about in reaching your vision.
Learn more about Vision for Change on episode 41 of the Cap & Gown podcast, now streaming on YouTube?and all of your favorite?listening platforms.