Previously, we introduced the following basic concepts to help create a healthy transformation program culture: 1. Executive Engagement, 2. Shared Vision, 3. Guiding Principles, 4. Clear Governance, and 5. Change Management.
As an executive reading this article, I will assume you understand the importance of being engaged in a transformation program and will jump right into crafting and communicating a shared vision in the context of creating a healthy transformation program culture.
The Importance of Having a Shared Vision
Your organization has already determined that they need to do something big and transformative in the business. Is simply having the decision and rationale enough to communicate with your internal and external stakeholders to get them on board? You guessed it, no.
Executives play a crucial role in charting the course and crafting a vision that is clear, compelling, and encapsulates the benefits of transformation. By creating and communicating a shared vision, executives provide an understanding of why the organization is undergoing significant disruption, fostering an underlying sense of purpose that employees can rally around. This sense of purpose is essential as it helps employees thread the vision into their daily decision-making, ensuring cohesive progress toward the common set of transformation program goals.
Creating a Shared Vision
As an executive, it is your job to create an easily understood picture of the future you desire for the organization. The process you follow to create a vision should be inclusive and not an epiphany you present for others to consume. The perfect time to start key stakeholder engagement and change management with your leadership team is when you are crafting the vision for the transformation. Pulling the transformation leadership team together to align on why you are going through the transformation, the key benefits you want to realize, and by when will pay huge dividends around leader collaboration in the short-term and the long-term when priorities are being challenged and tough decisions need to be made.
Defining a Vision That Drives Organizational Success
The vision statement itself should be concise, forward-looking, and compelling. You want stakeholders to see the benefit the organization is seeking once the transformation is complete and not focus on describing the transformative process.
Here are a few examples related to technology transformations:
- Unify and Elevate: Informing and supporting our business through efficient processes, intuitive ERP technology, and a single source of truth for our enterprise data by 2026.
- Empower Our Employees and Inform Our Line Managers: Transform workforce management by 2026.
I would love to hear about the ones you have created or experienced that inspired you and your team through a significant transformation.
The Takeaway
As an executive, your role in crafting and communicating a clear, compelling shared vision is crucial. The vision should highlight the benefits of the transformation and instill a sense of purpose for the organization and its stakeholders. By engaging stakeholders and fostering collaboration among the leadership team during the vision creation process, you can ensure alignment and progress towards the program's goals and inspire organizational success, amidst difficult times.
Stay Tuned: Upcoming Insights on Using Your Shared Vision to Develop Transformation Program Guiding Principles
In our next installment, we will spend time working through how to leverage your shared vision to create guiding principles for the transformation program. When properly structured, transformation program guiding principles are enabling statements that reflect the organization’s core values, encourage new solutions and flexibility, foster ownership and commitment, promote progress over perfection, and set clear expectations for program outcomes.
