She wants to get there fast

My daughter and I took our dog for a walk the other night. We knew our specific destination but the dog did not. My daughter made the observation:

“Bandit doesn’t even know where we are going … but she sure wants to get there fast.”

This got me thinking about how busy we are. Often so busy that we have either forgotten where we are going or worse we didn’t even know in the first place. Providing clarity “vision” is a core function of leadership.

Is your team busy pulling in the right direction?

Is it your job to give them the directions or the destination?

Should the process of establishing a vision be collaborative?

When does the leader need to be decisive?

In addition to vision, leaders provide clarity on values, priorities and goals. The following ideas and questions are intended to provide a framework for anyone with leadership aspirations to “Get There Fast”.

Vision  “The Where”

You’ve empowered your team to get to the destination by providing support and resources. They are sure to encounter obstacles. How would you know, as the leader, if the direction your team is going in is getting them closer to the vision or further away? What level of oversight is appropriate? When is it micro-managing?

Values  “The How”

You’ve provided your team with a clear vision. Being clear on organizational values provides boundaries for “the how”. The quickest way to get from where you are to where you want to be is a straight line. How might this path be in conflict with organizational values? What strategies will your team employ to get to the destination?

Priorities “The What”

Your team has a great sense of direction. They have a solid strategy informed by organizational values. They know where they are going and how they will get there. Next steps? What are the priorities? What is the rank order of these priorities?

Goals “The When”

What tasks fall on the critical path? Placing a deadline on a task turns a priority “what we are going to achieve” into a goal. When will we achieve it? How will we measure our progress? Are the goals realistic? How does the goal align with the vision, the values, the priorities?