>From Genene Koebelin:
"The learning leader must envision together with his or her fellow
employees the type of future world the company desires" (Marquardt,
Building the Learning Organization, p. 109). If everyone shares a common
vision, then everyone must have been involved in the creation of that
vision. Visioning is a continual process. It is against the backdrop of
a truly common vision that goals should be set.
In the words of one individual responsible for leading change within a
company, "I fear I am leaving out the "people stuff," or submerging my
sense of that deep process, but I'm afraid to talk about vision, team
learning, mental models, personal mastery" (learning-org-digest #2002,
L019758). In order to create a shared vision, a climate for this important
discussion needs first to be created.
"Having a shared vision is an essential starting point for the strategic
learning process because it defines, in clear and operational terms, the
results that the whole organization is attempting to achieve" (Kaplan and
Norton, The Balanced Scorecard, p. 254).
Create a Company-wide Vision
"Intrinsic motivation exists when employees' personal goals and actions
are consistent with achieving business unit objectives and measures"
(Kaplan and Norton, The Balanced Scorecard, p. 221). Creation of a
company-wide vision, then, begins at the individual level. Individuals
should be given the tools (i.e. information and guidance) needed to set
personal goals, and these goals should then be integrated into a larger
vision of the company and its purpose and future.
When individuals are used to working together and coordinating their
activities with one another, this process of integrating personal and
company-wide visions becomes much more feasible. At the same time, a
common vision encourages coordinated activity.
"Organizational researchers have argued that coordinated activity,
including but not restricted to communication, is made possible as a
result of individuals sharing a common set of meanings and
interpretations...(C)oordinated activity and interpretations are
recursively linked to each other--each shapes the other in an emergent
pattern" (Kovacic, New Approaches to Organizational Communication, p. 44).
Thus, the visioning process does not happen all at once, with a clear
beginning and ending. As a matter of fact, it never really ends, as
individual and company-wide goals require continuous modification in order
to adjust to the dynamic environment in which we exist.
The above is a reply to:
>From: "Kleine, Dirk" <Dirk.Kleine@bshg.com>
>
>I am a practicioner and my company is about to introduce our new vision.
>Now, how to do that intelligently and get prople buying in?? Can you help
>me to develop some new and creative ways?
--koebelin <koebelin@MCI2000.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>