At Changefirst we believe that the purpose for Change is best described in three connected parts. Like the spokes of a wheel, held together by the all-important hub.
At Changefirst we see Change Vision as part of wider purpose for Change that is best described in three connected parts. Like the spokes of a wheel, held together by the all-important hub.
At the centre is Mission – why the organisation exists – and this is the hub.
- Spoke 1 is the Imperative for Change – why the organisation needs to Change and cannot stay where it is
- Spoke 2 is the Change Management Vision – what the Change will deliver
- Spoke 3 is the Change Solution – how the change will be achieved
In this blog we look at the importance of Spoke 2 – which is concerned with the Change Vision that needs to be created and communicated when delivering transformational Change.
Painting a picture for people is important
When faced with Change, human beings prefer to have a picture of where they are heading.
People like to be able to identify an endpoint and desired outcome - or multiple outcomes - for when the Change is completed. This is not just directional but also motivational for them. And, while we know that in our world today a change does not really have an ending (it just creates new beginnings), understanding at least the first stop on the journey can help people regain a sense of control. Which, in turn, enables them to perform more effectively during the turbulence that follows.
If Imperative is the impetus - the urgency that creates a level of dissatisfaction that means people need to step away from the ‘Now’ (sometimes even with all of its successes) - the Vision is the definition of the ‘Wow’ we are moving towards. And the outcomes to be achieved when the Change has been delivered.
It is the picture of success when the Change has been implemented including how working behaviours will need to change for personal and organisational success.
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Creating a Change Vision for putting man on the moon This was well illustrated by the Change Vision example of the lunar exploration vision that President John F Kennedy painted in 1962.
There could never be any debate about when the target was reached. With the moon landing, people knew that it had been achieved (apart from a small minority who thought it was a Hollywood production). Similarly, it acted as a motivator for people, a new way they could give meaning to their work. Image source: Unsplash |
Kennedy’s Vision left no doubt about what would happen if the mission to land on the moon was successful. The speech he gave was Steer clear of generalisations
So, how do we get this right – stay on Mission – and craft an effective Change Vision statement that works?
One of the pitfalls when creating this type of Change Vision is being too vague.
So, organisations that are attempting to implement a programme of Change need to steer well clear of very general aspirational statements. These types of statements are more like a mission statement than a vision and ‘point of arrival’ for a particular change such as:
- 'We aspire to become best-in-class'
- 'We will develop a world class business model that…..’
- 'We will become market leaders in the cosmetics business globally'
The problem is that these statements are simply not specific enough to be effective. And many employees are becoming increasingly cynical about these types of vague, unmeasurable and often unrealisable 'visions'.
For example, I am sure every employee has seen at least one such statement on branding in their work area - only to see it quickly taken down and replaced when a new executive team takes over.
So how do you avoid falling into the trap above?
Here are 4 key tips to bear in mind as you create your Vision.
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4 tips to help create a successful Change Vision statement 1. Create a picture of the future state Firstly, people tend to remember pictures more than words.
At the very least our narratives are most powerful if they help people create visual images in their minds. Essentially seeing the scenes and settings of the world in the future when a specific Change has been adopted. 2. Keep the Change Vision statement short However, in our experience:
3. Make the vision as measurable as possible A Vision provides a picture of a highly desirable future state – i.e. a picture of the end result - and not the process for getting there. While it may not always have a specific number attached to it, it should be directional enough so that people can measure progress towards it and know when it has been achieved. 4. Make the vision as measurable as possible How will a day in their lives feel once the Change is in place – how can they see themselves being successful in the ‘new world’? What is their specific contribution ‘in’ and ‘to’ the ‘new world’? Continuing with the Moon Landing change management Vision example from earlier. Not only was the moon landing Vision ambitious, unambiguous, concise, clear and measurable - you may have also read Jo Byerly the janitor at NASA who, when asked what he did in the organisation, said: “I am helping to get a man to the moon.”
Understanding and appreciating the importance of his role in ensuring a safe environment so scientists, engineers, and astronauts could focus on their parts of the mission. You want something like this in your Change projects. You want people to be motivated and directed by the Change Vision. Image source: Bing Image Creator |
This is the type of commitment to Change that Changefirst can help you generate in your own organisational Change projects.
We help leaders and their teams be more change-capable in this high-velocity environment. And we give you the practical know-how, skills and productivity tools to be able to move decisively and quickly – to ensure you get business-critical projects delivered right, first time.
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DOWNLOAD OUR EBOOK Without a planned approach, tackling Change can be daunting Download Our Change Management Methodology - How PCI® Helps You Implement Change to learn more about making the leadership case for a structured approach to change and:
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Giving Change Practitioners the tools to create an Effective Change Vision
When we train Change Practitioners to use our own PCI® methodology to deliver Change effectively, we talk about defining the Vision (our Future State Vision as we term it) in terms of specific behaviours because:
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our behaviours are the biggest single determinant of how we are doing our work
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how people are doing work in an organisational context is the single biggest determinant of the goals and outcomes you need to deliver and the results you will ultimately have in future
In our action learning Change training workshops we encourage learners to work through a planning matrix.
This helps them decide what the organisation is going to do more of – and also less of – in terms of key processes, technologies and behaviours. And be explicit in the way that they intend to both express and measure this.
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