Communicating your vision with clarity
If you’re an aspirational business leader, creating and establishing a vision might come as second nature, as you’ve already spent months contemplating the journey ahead and know what needs to be done to reach your destination.
Appreciating the importance of constant improvement and development, these individuals understand that the path to success is never straightforward, adapting and pivoting where necessary, so they can overcome obstacles and stay on track.
Although the process of creating a vision might be easier for highly motivated business leaders, guiding colleagues and helping them understand the vision can be slightly more difficult, especially during a pandemic when there is ongoing uncertainty, and an increase in the number of employees furloughed or working from home.
However, one thing is for certain, your business cannot possibly achieve its full potential without the help and support of its workforce. If your vision is to become a reality, you must learn to clearly communicate plans, so the entire team can focus its efforts and pull in the same direction.
Inspire your team
When it comes to communicating your vision, you need to ensure the message resonates with your workforce, explaining the journey in a way that excites them and won’t overwhelm or intimidate them. Your enthusiasm for the vision needs to infectious but not excessive, striking the perfect balance to get people on side from the beginning.
It goes without saying that people operate better and are generally more productive when they have an emotional connection to their goals. Whilst telling someone what to do may work in the short-term, their motivation will start to wear off over time, which is counter-productive moving forward.
Instead, try to get your workers emotionally invested in the journey ahead by showing them what they can achieve from a personal and professional perspective. Some of your colleagues may be motivated by the prospect of career progression and promotions, so if this is the case, explain that achieving the vision will open the door to a wealth of career-enhancing opportunities.
By establishing this ‘common goal’ and communicating it in a way that motivates your workforce, you’ll have a team of people working for each other, instead of looking after their own interests. With this momentum, you’ll find the journey to success is a lot quicker, as any bumps in the road won’t knock you off course for too long.
Listen to feedback
Whilst it’s important to be clear and concise when outlining your vision, you should always be open to suggestions and encourage your team to offer their feedback. Of course, you don’t want to lose focus of the objective, but too much tunnel vision can prevent you from seeing potential problems, which your colleagues may have identified.
You may be the business leader with whom the final decision lies, but disregarding the thoughts and opinions of your team could create disharmony and be counter-productive in the long-run. Instead, bring them into the conversation and allow them to share ideas, as this will make them feel included and emotionally invested in the process.
That’s not to say you have to agree with every suggestion that comes your way, but communication should be a two-way street, and it will help you identify the strengths of your team and how you can get the most out of them.
Your vision must become their vision. Without this team ethic and togetherness, it’s almost impossible to get your business to where it needs to be. Be open to suggestions and take the time to understand your team, so you can communicate your plans in a way that motivates and inspires.