At worst, telling our people our vision generates defensiveness and resistance.
It is difficult to match the remarkable dynamics that occur when a critical mass of people in an organisation become committed to and aligned with a shared, inspired vision or mission. These dynamics include an exciting level of empowerment of the people, amazing availability of discretionary energy, extensive creativity, and a profound team synergy.
We can take the previous line of questioning one step farther to include the following EQs:
"What do we need to do more of, better or differently to achieve this objective?"
"What could I, as your leader, do more of, better or differently to help you achieve this objective?"
"What two or three things can we count on you to do to support this vision?"
It is in this step that people take responsibility and ownership for what needs to be done - not because we told them what to do but because they have discovered it for themselves. This step develops the critical action plan. Without specific and appropriate action, the exercise is a lost cause. Years ago we heard a story about three men laying brick at a work site. All three had the same tools, mortar of identical consistency and materials that were alike. Yet, the men somehow appeared different to an observer.
Curious, the observer asked the first worker, What are you doing?"
"Laying brick," the laborer grumbled. "Its a paycheck even if it is hard work."
"What are you doing?" the observer asked the next man.
"Well," the second worker replied, "Im one of the construction people, and we are putting together the east wall of a structure."
"What are you doing?" the observer queried the third worker.
"Im helping to build a cathedral," he wiped his brow and spoke excitedly.
"And someday right where we are standing the spirits will rise high above us, and people will be meeting to worship and be educated."
The differences the observer noticed in the men were the variations in attitude. The first worker held a job. The second man had acquiesced to common goals. The third goal had bought in and become aligned with a powerful purpose and vision. Notice how these questions align with the Framework for Continuous Renewal (and Structured Effective Questions). An additional synergy is created when we use the empowering framework and pull the answers from the people through EQs.
Shared purpose and vision, and the resultant alignment, must come from the inner heart of an organization - its people. Through the use of EQs, the vision is discussed openly and is put into words, thus forcing internal accountability and commitment for later actions. Alignment through shared purpose or vision continually provides the forward side of a very powerful NeFER.
In the book - Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge - Warren Bennis and Bert Nanus write, "A vision cannot be established in an organisation by edict, or by the exercise of power or coercion...In the end, the leader may be the one who articulates the vision and gives it legitimacy, who expresses the vision in captivating rhetoric that fires the imagination and emotions of followers, who - through the vision - empower others to make decisions that gets things done. But if the organisation is to be successful, the image must grow out of the needs to the entire organisation and must be claimed or owned by all the important actors."
Outstanding organizational performance and deep personal fulfillment work together and reinforce each other. These exciting results can only come through being clear on a purpose, sharing vision and being in alignment. When in alignment, every system and technique becomes a vehicle for infusing the spirit of renewal into the organisation rather than simply a mechanism that works only as long as leaders keep pushing or pulling them.
More than anything else, alignment through shared purpose and shared vision enables and empowers people and organisations to grow from the inside out. This kind of growth goes far beyond reducing resistance to change; it promotes renewal and builds a tenacious, vibrant spirit within individuals, teams, and organisations.
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