Communicating Vision: How To Get Buy-in From Everyone.

I spend A LOT of time on the sidelines watching my teenage sons play rugby. It occurred to me this weekend how gameplay strategy is exactly like business.

So, using rugby as the metaphor here…

Imagine you're the coach of a new team, and you've just devised an amazing strategy that you're certain will secure the next match's victory. You’ve dedicated hours to planning it and now you’re excited to share it with your team but as you begin to explain it, you notice not everyone is catching on. Some players appear puzzled, while others seem disinterested. This is such a common hurdle for leaders: conveying your big Vision in a way that resonates with everyone on the team.

If you follow Gino Wickman’s EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) model you’ll be using the  VTO (Vision Traction Organiser) brilliantly designed to assist leaders in articulating their visions. Armed with this and your first-class presenting skills, you’re sure that the vision is genius and that everyone will be a winner, yet you still feel like some on the team aren’t 100% with you. Not all in.

Traditional methods of communicating a vision might not always bridge the gap in comprehension among a team of mixed players. So how do you ensure every member of your rugby team, from the wingers to the hooker, is as enthusiastic and prepared to implement the new Vision strategy as you are?

The key is ensuring that every player feels valued and understands their critical role in the strategy's success.

If you look at it as if each player on your team has a different learning style. Some comprehend best through action, others through visualization, and some through auditory explanation.

GiANT’s team communication system,  "The 5 Voices"  helps in identifying each team player's learning style: Pioneers, Connectors, Guardians, Creatives, or Nurturers.

Each voice order grasps new concepts in a unique manner. It’s a game-changing insight into why, when you're discussing future victories and game plans, not everyone "gets it" in the same way.

Understanding that each voice absorbs new ideas distinctly is the first step in addressing the challenge of effective communication.

Here are 5 practical steps you can follow to ensure ALL the players in your team understand and are excited about your vision:

1. Understand Your Players: Determine which of the "5 Voices" corresponds to each player. This will enable you to communicate in a way that truly connects with them.
2. Adopt Multiple Approaches: Present your idea in various formats. Use diagrams for those who are visual learners, articulate the strategy step by step for those who learn by listening, and physically walk through the strategy on the pitch for those who learn by doing.
3. Engage the Team: Solicit feedback and suggestions from your players. They might identify ways to refine the strategy that hadn't occurred to you.
4. Simplify It: Break down the strategy into straightforward steps, making it easier to grasp how it will be implemented during a match.
5. Exercise Patience: Be prepared to explain the strategy several times, in different manners. Everyone grasps information at different rates.

Why not undertake the "5 Voices" assessment together? It's an engaging way to discover more about how each of you communicates and comprehends best.

You can find the FREE assessment here: 5 Voices Assessment

Watching my boys' play has illuminated for me the importance of viewing team communication through a lens of diversity and adaptability. By applying these insights in business, you can help ensure that every member of the team understands their role and how they contribute to the team's success, making the strategy not just a plan, but a shared vision