My company is all about vision, vision, vision. But what does that mean to me and the nitty gritty of getting the job done? Should I really be tapping into these company objectives as a way to please senior management, or is "vision" just leadership spiel I can ignore? SR, Sharjah
Typically, a company vision is designed to be both aspirational and inspirational and it sounds like you are working for a visionary company that is focused on the bigger picture. It’s incredibly important for any organisation to be clear on its vision and what it intends to become; as one of the key purposes of a company vision is to inform employees and customers of its most important primary goals.
However, while it may have taken just a few hours for top management to come up with this crisp vision statement of 10 to 15 words and arrange them into the right order to paint a simple message of success, it can take years to translate these words into meaningful action.
Many companies find the right words to paint the picture of future success but find it challenging to communicate how this vision ties into the everyday actions of its employees. Recent studies have found up to 70 per cent of employees do not understand their company’s strategy. Failure to understand how a company vision relates to its strategic objectives and how this should influence behaviour can lead to poor decision-making at all levels.
In your case, I want to explain the benefits of being connected and in touch with the vision before providing some suggestions of how your day-to-day work and actions can play an important part of turning the vision into reality. Even though at the moment it may feel like leadership spiel you’d like to ignore, if you get this right it will put you on the fast track to career success.
Those who to tap into company objectives as closely as possible not only use this as an opportunity to please senior management, but also an opportunity to gain direction on their own behaviour and how it affects the business. These individuals feel connected and engaged, knowing what they are doing is in line with key strategic objectives.
I recommend you first take yourself back to where this vision has come from. It is usually a statement produced by members of the senior management team and to truly understand this it may involve some extra work on your part listening, understanding and speaking to your managers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The role of leadership when it comes to creating and then executing a vision and strategic objectives is to make it clear enough for employees like you to take action every day. If you feel unclear, seek clarity.
Another approach is to give leadership a much-needed employee’s perspective. It’s entirely possible your senior managers are completely unaware that people in the organisation are asking themselves “so what does this mean for me?” Leadership can spend a lot of time looking down at the battle from the top of the hill, but sometimes they need to get down and really understand the fighting that is going on in the trenches and what behaviours need to change. Who better to support them than you?
It will always be a challenge to obtain complete clarity on whether your behaviour is in line with the future aspirations of an organisation or even its current goals. However, if you are able to assess your own behaviour against these objectives, even if it is your own subjective opinion, it should give you a better steer in the right direction.
Doctor’s prescription:
Organisations often formulate a vision with the purpose of creating clarity, alignment and understanding yet more often than not it has the opposite effect. Equally, there can be a lack of understanding of the objectives needed to achieve this vision. However, when explained well, a company vision can create collective energy and movement with employees feeling inspired and engaged. Sometimes, all management needs to provide further clarity is someone asking them “so what does this all mean for me?” Speak to your senior management, ask questions and understand how your behaviour contributes to turning that vision into a reality.
Alex Davda is a business psychologist and consultant at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at business@thenational.ae for advice on any work issues.
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