Visioning & Strategic Planning

Key Takeaways: Principles for Visioning and Strategic Planning Processes

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This concluding literature highlights the important or key takeaways leaders should be attentive to in their visioning and strategic planning efforts. The process and content principles fall within our earlier discussion of the three phases (e.g., discussion, development, and review and updating) of the strategic planning processOpens in new window and offer a guide that will help leaders to fulfill their visionOpens in new window and strategic planningOpens in new window responsibilities.

The concept of visioning as it is used in organizations today is credited to Ronald LippittOpens in new window, who, as early as 1949, began referring to “images of potential” rather than to “problems” as starting points for change.

Stephen CoveyOpens in new window identifies certain process, content, and application principles that have been found to be effective in creating a vision (and a strategic plan).

The principles are as follows:

1. Initiate and provide constant vigilance by leaders. It is the proper role of leadership to begin the process, to discuss and articulate the basis for developing a vision, and to start drafting a document. This effort begins the top-down portion of the visioning process.
2. Be challenging yet realistic. Set the mark high, but stay in touch with reality. A vision should stretch the abilities of the organization but not destroy its members.
3. Seek significant involvement by other members of the organization. This aspect includes discussing, writing, and rewriting the vision. In this joint-effort phase, senior leaders, in effect, say, “We’ve begun—but we need your input. Your involvement is essential.”

4. Encourage widespread review and comment. Include as many people as possible. The bottom-up period of review invites critical analysis. Here, leaders are saying, “We’ve worked hard on this and like it — but what do you think? Give us your ideas. We want this to belong to everyone.”
   
   Be open and show appreciation for suggestions. Incorporate modifications and the best think of all respondents. Involvement fosters commitment.
5. Keep communications flowing. Don’t assume everyone knows what is going on. Report on progress for developing the vision.
   
   
   Give acknowledgement and appreciation, and report on the adoption of elements of the vision—agreement on purpose, broad goals, core values, stakeholders, strategic initiatives, and so on. Provide feedback as achievements are made toward attaining goals.
6. Allow time for the process to work. People need time to think about and adjust to change, even positive change. The development of a vision may take longer than people expect. Top leaders spend weeks on the original draft, months on the involvement and feedback process, and a year or more to finish the product.
7. Demonstrate commitment, follow-through, and concurrent action by leaders. Leaders must make reality match rhetoric. Any sincere effort to put words into action will lend credibility and will reinforce the actual attainment of the vision.

8. Maintain harmony of subunits. The content of the vision statements for subunits (such as divisions, plants, departments, and work teams) should be in harmony with the overall vision of the organization.

Key elements of an overall vision or strategic plan typically include the following:

1. Central purpose or mission (reason for existence). This is a clear, compelling statement of purpose that provides focus and direction. It’s the organization’s answer to the question, “Why do we exist?” For example, Ikea’s stated mission is: “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”
2. Broad goals to achieve the mission (enduring intentions to act). These are process or functional accomplishments that must be met to achieve the mission.
3. Core values to measure the rightness and wrongness of behavior (hills worth dying on). Sometimes called operating principles, core values such as truth, trust, and respect define the moral tone or character of the organization.
4. Stakeholders and what the attainment of the vision will mean to them (the human element). These are the people who will be affected by what the organization does or does not do.
5. Analysis of the organization and its environment, including internal strengths, and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. The SWOT assessment of current conditions that must be both thorough and objective. Information that is unknown and facts that are denied will hinder and even destroy an organization.

6. Strategic initiatives (sometimes called critical success factors). These are short-term, intermediate, and long-term objectives necessary to achieve the goals and mission. They may be person- or groups-specific or may involve all members of the organization. They may be externally or internally focused. They meet the SMARTER test, with dates or numbers to measure accomplishment.
7. Tactical plans and specific assignments (projects and activities) to support strategic initiatives, broad goals, and the attainment of the mission. These projects and activities serve as guides in performance planning for units and members of the organization, and they constitute the plan of work.

Elements 1 through 4 provide general direction for the organization. Adding Elements 5 and 6 involves strategic planning. This gives definition to the vision and focuses people and resources on specific objectives that can be measured.

Element 7, tactical planning, refers to projects and activities designed to implement strategy, the plays that drive the game to success. Tactical planning results in group- and person-specific assignments and concrete actions.

Application Principles for Visioning and Strategic Planning

Leaders should also pay attention to the following visioning and strategic planning application principles:

1. Honor and live the vision as the organization’s constitution. The values and principles of the vision, not the personal style of individuals, should govern organizational culture and behavior.
2. Encourage new-member understanding and commitment through early introduction. Those not involved in the development process can identify with the vision (and strategic plan) from the first association: “This is what we are all about; if you can embrace the mission and these values as your own, then we may join together.” The vision should be the centerpiece of the orientation program for all new members.
3. Make it constantly visible. Express constancy of purpose through a written statement. The vision should be publicized to customers, employees, suppliers, owners—everyone.
4. Create integrity through alignment and congruency. Use the vision as a leadership tool and decision-making guide; as a checkpoint to test alignment of strategy, structures, systems, and member behavior; and as a means to track progress.
5. Reinforce employee behavior that supports the vision (and strategy). This encourages similar behavior that helps the vision and strategic plan to be achieved.
6. Review the vision (and strategic plan) periodically, revising as appropriate to reflect changing conditions.

Leaders must make sure that the processes of creating a vision and strategic plan are tailored to their specific organization for them to be most effective. The process, content, and application principles are guidelines leaders can use to achieve the required objective—agreement on direction and commitment to succeed.

In the end, the role of vision is to help organizations succeed and strategic planning provides the road map on how the organization will go about being successful in achieving the vision.

Leaders must never lose sight of the fact that success begins with a clear, compelling vision, a picture in the minds of organizational members of how things should and could be. Without vision, there is confusion. Also required are other important ingredients as including skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan.