Creating sustainable futures/CSF103/Developing/Qualities and characteristics

Forest Track in Autumn

There is a wealth of debate and discussion about what qualities and characteristics make for a powerful and compelling vision. Perhaps much as to do with the personalities who are advocating and communicating the vision. And the Simon Sinek video on the previous page explains how, as a matter of human biology, visions might be developed to inspire action.

Considering what has worked well in for others is helpful and provides a useful guide. Dr. John Kotter, regarded by many as the modern authority on leadership and change. The list below is adapted from Dr. Kotter’s paper called Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail, and puts forward the following guidance for creating an effective vision statement:

• Desirable: Appeals to the long-term interests of employees, customers, owners and others who have a stake in the organisation
• Focused: Clear enough to provide guidance in decision-making
• Flexible: General enough to allow individual initiative and alternative responses in light of changing conditions
• Communicable: Easy to communicate in just a few minutes
• Imaginable: Conveys a picture of what the future could look like
• Feasible: Comprises realistic, attainable (though challenging) goals
• Describes a sustainable outcome: addresses all the organisation’s main sustainability challenges and opportunities