Having a clear vision is important, but it’s not enough
When I was working in the public sector, I was part of a joint coalition to change a funding structure that had been highly politicized. The efforts to make the change began several years before I started working on it and didn’t happen until several years after I was in my role. Throughout this time, I had to operate with two distinct mindsets - I had to brace myself for the change not happening, while at the same time putting all my energy into it as if it was moving forward. When we finally were able to get the change passed, we found ourselves with less than a month before it went into effect, and with a team that was burnt out and quickly pulled away to other efforts. I went from working with a highly invested, cross-functional team to it being up to me and one other person to figure out the details.
We often get hooked on the excitement of a vision for change, but lack the resources, time or planning instincts needed to execute it effectively. We are good at coming up with those big visions, and know what to do once a plan for change is in place, but can find ourselves lost in the gray area between the two - not being able to figure out quite how to move forward, but frustrated that the new vision we’ve developed isn’t being realized. Leadership who was involved with the vision setting gets pulled away to put out fires or move on to the next big thing, and staff expected to move the vision forward are left with unanswered questions - either waiting for direction, or moving forward on their own interpretations of the strategic vision, without clear confirmation of the original intent.
This challenge is at the crux of my consulting practice. Oftentimes the work it takes to move a complex change forward is so taxing, and time intensive that it leaves little room for figuring out how the change will actually be put into practice. A vision for change, however, will only lead to true results if the plans for implementation and evaluation is just as well thought out as the plan was to get the change approved.
At ezmay consulting, we focus on filling in that gap between strategic vision and results by ensuring that every piece of the puzzle is in place to set organizations up for success. We help with the initial strategic vision setting but then also partner with organizations to develop the necessary infrastructure to see the vision through. We do this by working with organizations to develop plans for buy-in, identify and implement necessary changes to organizational structure, create detailed project plans and mission-aligned budgets, and provide coaching and support for staff involved in the changes along the way. If you’re a leader who has found yourself in a similar situation and are looking for support in moving forward, I’d love to chat about ways we can partner! Contact me here to get the conversation started.
