Let's start this conversation with Simon Sinek's great TED Talk "Start with Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Action"!
Begin with WHY. Begin with a Shared Vision. Articulating a shared vision when scaling agility is important for several reasons:
- Alignment: A shared vision ensures alignment across the organization. When everyone understands and embraces the same vision, it creates a sense of unity and common purpose. It aligns efforts and resources towards a common goal, reducing conflicting priorities and promoting collaboration.
- Clarity of direction: A shared vision provides clarity of direction for the organization. It communicates the desired future state and the outcomes to be achieved through scaling agility. Clarity of direction enables individuals and teams to make informed decisions and prioritize their efforts in alignment with the vision.
- Motivation and engagement: A shared vision inspires and motivates people. When individuals see a compelling vision that resonates with their values and aspirations, they become more engaged and committed to their work. A clear and inspiring vision energizes individuals and teams, driving them to overcome challenges and go the extra mile to achieve the organization's goals.
- Focus on outcomes: A shared vision keeps the focus on desired outcomes rather than getting lost in day-to-day activities. It helps individuals and teams understand the bigger picture and the ultimate purpose behind their work. With a shared vision, people can align their efforts towards achieving meaningful and impactful results, ensuring that scaling agility initiatives are purpose-driven.
- Stakeholder communication and buy-in: Articulating a shared vision facilitates effective communication with stakeholders. When the vision is clearly communicated, stakeholders, including employees, customers, and partners, can understand and align their expectations with the organization's goals. It helps generate buy-in and support for scaling agility initiatives, fostering a positive and collaborative environment.
- Decision-making guidance: A shared vision provides guidance for decision-making. When faced with choices and trade-offs, individuals and teams can refer back to the shared vision to evaluate options and make decisions that align with the long-term direction of the organization. It helps ensure that decisions are made in alignment with the organization's strategic objectives.
- Resilience and adaptability: A shared vision provides a foundation for resilience and adaptability in the face of change. When individuals and teams have a clear understanding of the desired future state, they can adapt their approaches and strategies to navigate challenges and seize opportunities. A shared vision enables the organization to be agile and responsive to changing market dynamics and customer needs.
- Measurement and progress tracking: A shared vision enables measurement and progress tracking. By articulating the desired outcomes and milestones associated with the vision, it becomes easier to define key performance indicators and track progress towards the vision. Measurement provides feedback on the effectiveness of scaling agility initiatives and allows for adjustments and course corrections as needed.
In summary, articulating a shared vision when scaling agility brings alignment, clarity, motivation, focus, stakeholder buy-in, decision-making guidance, resilience, and measurement to the organization. It creates a sense of purpose and direction, guiding individuals and teams towards achieving the desired outcomes of scaling agility initiatives.
