What a Good Change Vision Looks Like

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood […], but teach them to long for the vast and endless sea.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) Change processes often focus on strategy, structures, or new technologies, but rarely on a shared change vision. This is one of many reasons why 70 to 85% of all change projects fail. Yet this vision is the crucial anchor for orientation, motivation, and solidarity during change. As viadoo Change Guides, we regularly see that organizations are slow to recognize the power of a shared vision of the future. But what actually constitutes a good change vision, and how is it created? That’s what this blog post is about.

The vision emerges at the beginning

Change often begins with practical issues, and only later does it become apparent that there is a lack of orientation. A vision therefore describes the desired state after a change in concise words and understandable language right at the beginning. It is not a detailed plan, but an emotionally charged vision of the future that touches on important questions for those who will be affected by it:

• Why should anything change at all?
• What should the goal look like – and why exactly like that?
• What does the change mean for me personally (WIIFM)?
• How do we want to achieve the goal together?

A jointly developed vision is the starting point and sets the direction – especially when top management takes on the role of initiator and visibly assumes responsibility.

Vision as motivation: Big goals unleash energy

A successful vision appeals not only to the mind, but also to the heart. An iconic example is John F. Kennedy‘s famous “Moon Speech.” On September 12, 1962, he announced at an event at Rice University in Houston, Texas:

“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, […].”

Kennedy’s vision was understandable because it was very general. In short, it was: By the end of the decade, the US will have a man on the moon. Every level of NASA’s organization, from the board of directors to the gatekeeper, could identify with this and interpret it for themselves and their own work. On July 20, 1969, the moment finally arrived: Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon.

In terms of change processes, the vision as a motivational tool means the following: without a shared vision, every level of the organization (from the board to the doorman) would lack a central argument for committing to a technical change.

Vision as a unifying force: moving in one direction

Martin Luther King Jr. provides another example of the unifying power of a vision with his dream of overcoming racial segregation, delivered on August 28, 1963:

“I have a dream today. […]

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today. […]“

King’s vision was as understandable as it was rhetorically brilliantly formulated and presented. The redundancy of the dream is still anchored in the collective memory (especially of US society) today. Ultimately, even 25 years later, Barack Obama was able to refer to it and be elected as the first black president of the United States.

The same applies to change processes: without a vision, it is difficult to win over a majority of supporters, change agents, etc. who proactively support the desired technical transformation. The result: uncertainty, fear, anger, resistance, and a drop in performance.

The path to a vision: small circle, big impact

The development of a change vision is best achieved in a structured workshop format. The composition of the group is crucial: no more than a dozen people – with the unconditional participation of top management. After all, those who have (co-)developed the vision can credibly represent it as advocates – both internally and externally. In addition, identification increases: those who are allowed to help shape the vision will contribute to it.

At viadoo, we use proven methods that not only promote creative thinking but also take company-specific conditions into account. Ultimately, the vision must be vivid, realistic, connectable, and communicable—and it must align with the interests of the most important stakeholders.

Key characteristics of a vision

Developing a vision is challenging. There is no template that fits all cases. As viadoo Change Guides, we therefore use appropriate methods and techniques in each case. It is crucial that a vision ultimately has the following characteristics:

• Easy to imagine (vivid)
• Easy to communicate and explain (fits on a T-shirt)
• Includes realistic goals
• Allows for individual initiatives (general enough)
• Serves as an aid in decision-making
• Has a strong connection to the company/organization
• Aligns with the interests of stakeholders

If you look at the two examples above, you will see that both John F. Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King Jr.’s visions contained these characteristics.

Developing a vision for a change process is not a nice-to-have, but a crucial factor for successful change. It connects top management with the workforce, releases energy, and provides orientation in times of uncertainty. After all, if you want to shape change, you first have to create a vision of the future that combines will and desire.