What's the secret to creating a powerful vision and strategy for change?

Vision and strategy are only means of a organisation's journey towards its purpose. Purpose will be the key infinite driving force that will have to remain the north star - vision and strategy are finite milestones within this infinite journey that nees to be precise, impactful but also adaptable. And the key success for any strategy is to craft it in a manner where it can be demonstrated at all levels of the organisation. Employees need to be able to find connection between what they do and why they do it.

To create a compelling vision and strategy for change, start by clearly defining the change's purpose, scope, and goals. Make sure these align with your organization's mission and offer benefits to stakeholders. I think communication is critical: consistently share your vision and invite feedback. You can implement this vision by aligning your resources and specific plans with the overall strategy. Set realistic, tangible goals that keep your team focused and inspired. Finally, I would like to put all of this in a concise yet inspiring vision statement that paints a picture of the future you aim to achieve. You can adapt this vision to keep it relevant and robust as your business evolves.

Without a vision you can have no strategy and without a strategy you can have no business case and without a business case there can be no execution. These all need to be aligned to ensure there is no veering off the highway of change. So clarity and alignment are a crucial element. See it from the end-point like an architect would envision the finished building and then put in place all the plans and people that you will need to realise the final building. But do not forget all of those stakeholder that you need to get aligned with you vision as they will be the ones that will make it or break it.

A story from Warren Buffett illustrates the need to define purpose and scope of change. The story goes that a pilot for Mr. Buffett who was eager to change and asked for his advice. Mr. Buffett told him to write 25 things he wanted to do in order to change. The pilot took his time and wrote the list. Upon completing the list he sought Mr. Buffett's feedback. Mr. Buffett simply replied: "now cross of all the items on your list except for the first 5 items." The lesson is we need to focus to drive change and, therefore, you need to define the purpose and scope in order to focus on the change that you seek.

The only constant in business and life is change. Hence the secret lies in accepting that change is constant and develop a vision that is in harmony with that fact. Hence it's about finding the equilibrium between a clear purpose that inspires and resonates, and the flexibility to adapt to evolving circumstances. The real secret lies in combining inclusivity, where diverse perspectives shape the vision, with the steadfast commitment of leadership. It's a dance between data-driven analysis and a genuine alignment with core values.

Communications and soliciting input and feedback simply is not enough. In a now younger, more technologically engaged workforce leaders and change agents need to find multifaceted ways to disseminate and gather information and provide opportunities to shape their work lives. It doesn't mean anarchy, but it does mean democratizing some level of decisions and activities to build a greater sense of belonging, ownership, commitment and alignment. Effective leaders actively look for opportunities to democratize decisions and provide multiple methods for engagement to meet staff where they are in terms of ability, learning and communication styles and to create a psychologically safe way to submit potentially challenging feedback.

The ADKAR model is a great tool for planning communications, training and tuning into the stakeholder journey. But a first key step is to know who you will try to engage, so carrying out a stakeholder map and analysis that fits the change scope is a good starting point. This then means you have the who to engage clearly define, this will need regular updating. Then mapping out the communication channels available and persona groups can be a useful way to capture basic communication needs. Besides this using DISC, MBTI, Belbin and 16 personalities can be an interesting way to make sure your communication style fits your stakeholders. Last but not least looking into motivation techniques like Hertzberg and Daniel Pinks intrinsic motivation.

Aligning stakeholders is as critical as the vision itself. Too often, leaders view stakeholders as passive recipients rather than active contributors. Engage them not just by broadcasting your vision but by co-creating the journey. Start with empathy maps to understand their concerns, aspirations, and points of resistance. Use storytelling to make your strategy resonate on an emotional level, not just a cognitive one. A multi-modal approach ensures broad reach and deep insight. Invite not just feedback but ownership; allow stakeholders to shape the initiative or even become change champions. Transparently share milestones and setbacks; in doing so, you build a culture of trust that makes any vision more attainable.

Use these 5 CHANGE MODELS 1. The Bridges' Transition Model states that change requires individuals to go through 3 stages: endings, the neutral zone, and new beginnings. 2. Kotter's 8-Step Model: create urgency, form a coalition, develop a vision, communicate the vision, empower employees, create quick wins, consolidate improvements, and institutionalize new approaches. 3. Lewin's Change Model proposes a 3-step process: unfreeze, change, and refreeze. 4. The ADKAR Model emphasizes 5 outcomes: awareness of the need, desire to support, knowledge of how to change, ability to implement, and reinforcement to sustain. 5. McKinsey's 7-S Model highlights 7 factors for change: strategy, structure, systems, skills, staff, shared values, style.

🤝 Involve stakeholders in the change. 🔊 Understand their needs and concerns. 📢 Use various communication channels. 🔄 Consistent and frequent messaging. 💬 Encourage feedback and input.

Shared identity will just be only that, unless we take actions around it. Creating connections are the triggers but it is how we maintain it that matters. In every change initiatives there will always be the ebb and flow of connections between stakeholders. Managing change by maintaining this flow is critical, we should feel the tensions of the change impacts that affected the connections and mitigate it by loosening or tightening it. It's almost like fishing and flying a kite.

A vision story must be vivid and captivating. As a person that has helped dozens of clients craft vision stories, I can share that each story must describe in detail what it's like to work and be part of the company -- it's not uncommon to discuss cultural dynamics like teamwork, rewards, and the technologies used to execute the mission. Your stakeholders need to see, taste, smell what the organization is about -- If you do that, you have a story worth telling!

A shared identity is a sense of belonging and commitment to a common purpose and vision. Start by: 📖 Craft a compelling change story. 🤝 Build a shared identity. 💡 Combine emotional and rational appeals. 📢 Use storytelling and symbolism.

A compelling story is the soul of your change initiative, and a shared identity is its heartbeat. While data informs, emotion mobilizes. Integrate the "why" and "how" into a narrative where stakeholders are both actors and audience. Use vivid "before and after" imagery, along with metaphors and slogans, to simplify complex ideas. Live your story—embed your shared identity through rituals or artifacts. Celebrate both the collective vision and individual contributions. This fusion of emotional resonance and rational clarity serves as the magnetic force driving successful change.

I encountered the challenge of revitalizing a struggling IT company. To start, I emphasized the company's heritage and values, invoking feelings of nostalgia and pride among the employees. Simultaneously, I acknowledged the obstacles we faced and underscored the potential benefits of embracing change. To cultivate a shared identity, I introduced a new vision statement and core values, involving employees in their development to ensure a sense of ownership. Myslogan, "Navigating change together," represented our commitment to unity and collaboration. By blending emotional storytelling with rational explanations of our strategic approach, we succeeded in motivating employees to wholeheartedly embrace change.

Translating your vision into actionable plans is where the rubber meets the road. These plans provide a roadmap for how you intend to achieve your desired outcomes. Allocating the right resources, whether it's financial, human, or technological, is essential for supporting your change efforts. A well-aligned strategy, supported by congruent actions and resource allocation, reinforces the clarity and focus needed for success. We must communicate our vision, strategy, and the rationale behind our actions and resource allocation to our stakeholders. Demonstrating your commitment to the change effort through visible actions and outcomes builds credibility and trust.

Action plans are worthless if not monitored through a centralized management tool. Why? If everyone involved is 'doing their own thing' then there is no quality control. Centralized management ensures messaging, deployment, and evaluation activities are consistent and on-brand.

You must translate your vision and strategy into concrete plans, actions, and measures that guide and monitor your change. 🤝 Align actions & and resources with vision. 📋 Translate vision into concrete plans. 💪 Allocate necessary resources. 🧩 Ensure consistency & coherence. 👥 Communicate & demonstrate commitment.

Being able to distil actions into habits (thinking habits- the mindset required to power the change or behavioural - I understand what we need to consistently do/avoid doing to be the change) is where measurable and sustainable change becomes possible. With so much noise around change efforts, being able to continually remind people of the key catalyst habits (keeping to no more than 3 is best)helps change become a tangible thing that feels achievable and that each individual can become accountable for. The momentum we can create when it’s clear that the impact of those habits is moving the needle is priceless for engagement and sustainment.

In a practical case, I led a turnaround for a struggling telco firm, aiming to enhance its competitiveness. We translated our vision into a detailed action plan, assigning tasks and setting milestones. Effective resource allocation was pivotal, involving fund reallocation, workforce assessment, and strategic technology investments. Consistency and coherence remained paramount, ensuring that all decisions were in harmony with our vision. Communication was key, with regular updates and discussions to keep stakeholders informed. This alignment resulted in positive outcomes, including cost reduction, increased productivity, and enhanced customer satisfaction.

For change programs it is important to show early successes to create credibility within the program but also with its stakeholders. An additional benefit is learn from mistakes, fail fast, and reassess impacts on roadmaps

You must also collect and analyze data and information that indicate the progress and outcomes of your change. 🔄 Adapt & and learn from feedback/results. 📊 Collect, analyze progress data. 👂 Solicit stakeholder feedback. 🎉 Celebrate achievements. 📚 Share lessons & best practices. 🤔 Be flexible, adjust vision/strategy as needed.

Data-driven decision-making is essential for tracking progress and justifying the change, but it may not capture intangible factors like culture. Stakeholder feedback is crucial for refining the change strategy, but finding the right balance between openness and timely decision-making is key. Flexibility and agility are vital for adapting the vision and strategy based on feedback and results, but these adjustments should not result in constant strategy shifts!

Creating a powerful vision and strategy for change is a multifaceted endeavour that requires careful consideration and thoughtful planning. Elements to consider: Compelling: It should evoke interest and capture the imagination of those involved, sparking intrigue and excitement. Bold: It has to stretch us, challenge the status quo, question existing norms, and push the boundaries of what is possible. Clear: A compelling vision must be crystal clear, concise, and easily understood by all stakeholders. Inclusive. It should consider the perspectives of diverse stakeholders from different backgrounds, experiences, and identities. Adaptable: In our fast-changing world, adaptability is essential. Leaders must adjust as circumstances evolve.

I think it's really important to recognize that consultants are often tasked with helping companies create their vision and strategy. It's a great strategy to leverage external expertise to help facilitate the process. Where many initiatives go wrong is they don't ensure that the company owns the creation of their vision and strategy, that it's co-created by those that will be leading the change and validated/adapted by those impacted by the change. The DNA of the organizations changing must be there or it's just a story that a 3rd party created for you.

It's essential to recognize the pivotal role of leadership and communication when managing change. Imagine a large organization in the midst of a substantial restructuring effort aimed at adapting to evolving market conditions. Initially, the change strategy appeared sound, backed by solid data. However, as the restructuring unfolded, it became evident that employees were grappling with heightened stress levels and resistance to the changes. The leadership team had underestimated the emotional toll that these changes were taking on their workforce. In response to this situation, it was implemented a series of initiatives, including town hall meetings and one-on-one conversations, to actively listen to employees' concerns and anxieties.