9 tactics to effectively communicate your vision

Photo by Carla216

It’s the leader’s job to communicate the vision to their organisation and team. The first step is to ensure that the content and substance of you vision is relevant to the community. Once you have a great vision the next step is to ensure that the vision is communicated effectively. The way you go about communicating your vision is critical, communication can make or break your vision. The article “How to Inspire Through Vision — Even in Rocky Times” from CCL proposes the following tactics as a means for communicating your vision:

1. Stories. When you tell a good story, you give life to a vision. The telling of stories creates trust, captures hearts and minds, and serves as a reminder of the vision. Plus, people find it easier to repeat a story than talk about a vision statement.
2. The elevator speech. Every leader needs to be able to communicate the vision in a clear, brief way. What compelling vision can you describe in the amount of time you have during a typical elevator ride? Be prepared to reinforce the vision in line at the cafeteria, when you visit the customer service department, and even walking through the parking lot at the end of the day.
3. Multiple media. The more channels of communication you use, the better your chance of creating an organization that "gets" the vision. Use meetings, memos, lunches, podcasts, e-mail, an internal Web site, and whatever else you can think of (Twitter, anyone?) that will keep the message in circulation.
4. Talk to me. Individualize the vision by engaging others in one-on-one conversations. Personal connections give leaders opportunities to transmit information, receive feedback, build support and create energy around the vision.
5. Draw a crowd. Identify key players, communicators, stakeholders and supporters throughout the organization who will motivate others to reflect on and be engaged with the vision.
6. Go outside. Communicate to external customers, partners and vendors with advertising and public relations campaigns, catalogs, announcements and other statements.
7. Make memories. Create metaphors, figures of speech and slogans and find creative ways to use them. Write a theme song or a memorable motto.
8. Guide the expedition. Use visual aids and updates to keep everyone aware of the progress you are making toward your vision. Create a vision GPS, but don’t just give out maps. Travel alongside, stay out in front, offer directions and point out guideposts.
9. Back it up. If you’re talking it up, be sure to back it up with actions and behaviors. If people see one thing and hear another, your credibility is shot and your vision is dead.

This is a good checklist that can be used as input to a communication strategy for your vision.

• Have you give enough time and attention to how you’re communicating your vision?
• How effectively has your vision been communicated? Do people understand it? Do they talk about it?
• What two of the above tactics can you start using this week to improve the communication of your vision?

Technorati Tags: Communication, Vision, Purpose, Inspire, Inspiration, Motivation, Strategy

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Tagged as: Communication, Vision