Your company has a clear organizational mission and vision. If you are lucky, the mission and vision can be differentiated from that of other organizations (e.g., “We want to be the premiere…”). Values are espoused and drive organizational behavior. So, how do you take the organizational vision and roll it down to your department or team? How do you ensure that your team’s efforts align with that of the overall organization?
I have used the following questions with departments and teams of all sizes in a variety of industries (many come from Morrisey’s work on planning). The questions are a guideline to facilitate dialogue with your staff to assist in articulating a department or team vision. For the record, I have a bias toward dialogue versus the creation of a final written document. I think it is the process that brings the team together and helps cement the direction (as opposed to the act of finalizing a written document). I have seen too many teams worry about word-smithing the end result versus engaging in open discussion about what could be.
Try it out with your team…let us know how it goes.
Ask each member of your team to answer the following questions to help describe a “picture” of the future of your department or team. Then facilitate a discussion to share thoughts, challenge ideas, discuss what-ifs, and clarify a vision.
• What is key to the future of your department or team?
• What unique contribution should your team make?
• What would excite you about being part of this team in the future?
• What values need to be stressed?
• What are or should be your team’s core competencies?
• What is your vision regarding the product or service your team provides to customers (both internal & external)?
• What is your vision of how employees work and interact with each other? Of the morale and climate of your team?
• What is your vision of your interactions with those you lead?
• What is your vision of your relationship and interactions with your colleagues and peers?
• What is your vision of your relationship and interactions with your boss?
• How does your department/team vision build on and reinforce the company vision?
Related Articles: Reveal a Clear Picture of Your Team; Why Change Efforts Fail
Tags: Beyond the Jargon, Calibra, core competencies, dialogue, Diane Hamilton, mission, Morrisey, values, vision
