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Workflow and Process of A Vision
I love visionary leaders. The see what others cannot. They believe with a faith that is deep and flowing. Yet, with almost every visionary leader, there is a struggle to get the vision from their sacredness of their heart and head to the “streets” where it can have life and movement.
VISION: A mental picture of a result to be achieved. It is a picture so clear and compelling that it creates movement, direction and fulfillment. A vision is not an ambiguous wish, dream or hope. It’s a picture of the real results of real efforts. It looks with expectation to the future by educating and energizes the present.
In his 2001 book, “Visioneering”, Andy Stanley lays the “blueprint” for establishing personal vision. He defines vision as that which is “formed in the hearts of those who are dissatisfied with the status quo . . . something that should be done . . . the element that catapults men and women out of the realm of passive concern and into action”. Stanley quotes Aristotle who says “The soul never thinks without a picture.”
Webster’s defines vision as, “the ability to foresee or perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness.” Myles Munroe says, “Vision is the ability to see farther than your physical eyes can look”. According to George Barna, “Vision transcends time”. Yet, Sanders says vision includes optimism and faith and is venturous. Jim Collins sees vision a bit differently. His “hedgehog concept” is realizing the one thing you were called to do well and focusing and filtering all other ideas through that one concept.
“Visions are the catalyst for creating systems. Systems may fail, but those systems that have been created in response to a vision have the ability to change and adapt because the end result (achieving the vision) is the goal, the process of production is merely the means by which the goal is reached. True visionaries in the church build their ministries around their vision and not vice versa. (Is Vision Really Necessary For The Church, passionforpreaching.net)
In a process of clarification to a Mission Statement, I created the following workflow that uses six steps to help reveal and refine a vision.
- Imagination – Vision Dreaming
- If there were no limits . . . if you could not fail, what would you want you to do?
- What is the legacy that you want to leave?
- What is your secret ambition?
- This is the big picture.
- Investigation – Vision Clarification
- What does your dream look like?
- Can you describe it a short paragraph or dialogue?
- Illustration – Vision Sketching and Architecture (Rough Draft, Blue Print, Cost Requirements)
- Outline it . . .
- Sketch it . . .
- What does the skeletal structure of this vision look like?
- What foundation and support to we need that would allow it to grow?
- Invention – Vision Expression and/or Construction
- Detail it . . .
- Add skin to the skeletal structure
- What does it look like on the inside?
- How do we grow it?
- Inspiration – Vision Casting
- What is the story?
- Is the story simple, clear and understandable?
- Who needs to hear the story?
- Tell the story.
- Implementation – Vision Execution
- What are the action steps to accomplish the vision?
- How can we “close the sale”?
- How do we manage the process? The progress? The results?
Does this process interest you? If so, we can help walk you and your leadership team through the workflow. Contact me at bob@servantone.com.
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