Submitted by Sylwfan on
in
Forums
Hi Manager tools group,
Does anybody have any advice about launching a new company vision?
We are a technical (software) organisation and I know that it needs to catch people's attention without being too gimmicky or the teams will not take it up at all.
How can I get people involved so that all members of the organisation see the vision as theirs and not just something that has been given to them?
Thanks
Sincerity, commitment, and a grounding in reality
In my experience (as a confirmed "company gimmick" cynic), most derision arises from the situation where management talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk. There are few things more soul destroying than actually signing on to a bright new vision of the future, only to have those who promulgated the vision act like it never happened. You very quickly get jaded and cynical when that happens.
The key is to create a vision that actually has a passing resemblance to something that could actually happen. Then make sure that all the key people (typically senior management, but sometimes there are other influential people around the company that are worth getting on board early) feel that it is something worth getting behind, and get them really committed to working it. Then let everyone know what's going on, including a "peek behind the curtain" into the thinking that went into formulating the whole thing (the "big picture" of the industry and trends, the thought processes of the key people, and so on). Finally, everyone from the top on down needs to live by this new truth. It really does need to start from the top. If you've got a divisional head who thinks this whole thing is a load of hooey, not only will nobody in his organisation believe in it, but that rot will spread to the rest of the company, too.