VISION

Describe a better future

Knowing what you are trying to accomplish will help you make decisions about what you need to do to make this happen.

Preview how this activity will happen in this two-minute video from the template. Turn on closed captioning to read instructions in your preferred language.

At the start of a project, you have a vision of what’s possible and need to convey that big idea to others. But it’s hard to describe a future that doesn’t yet exist.

Clearly communicating what you are trying to accomplish helps get people on board and make better decisions. Creating a project vision together enables discussion and debate, and aligns people around a common purpose.

There are different ways to begin describing a better future. You could:

  • write down what you see in your mind’s eye

  • draw inspiration from other good examples

  • use a vision statement template

Whatever approach you use, make sure it enables you to:

  • Include many viewpoints, from other colleagues to the people you're serving

  • Create good, shareable, storytelling material - a one-liner needs to become a one-pager and more.

  • Align on a way forward

Our recommended structure to start documenting a vision is to:  

  • Generate lots of answers to the question, “what will the future look like?”.

  • Review and group similar answers together. 

  • Draft vision statements that describe each group

  • Explore each statement further. Ask "Why is this vision important?" to better express a vision and its marketable benefits. Also ask, "How might we realize this vision?" to identify ways forward. Finally,

  • Vote to align upon the most compelling vision

What does it look like when done well?

Here, draft vision statements for a leadership program are discussed. An initial statement of “help you find your purpose” has become “action your why”. WHY is that important? In order to “make it real and attainable” and so that “shareholders invest in you” describe key benefits. HOW might it be realised? By “allowing teams to define their why” and solutions that “focus on the process” suggest ways forward.

With these key steps in mind, we hope you’re inspired to begin describing a better future.

 

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