Before you learn how to cultivate a vision, you need to listen to the vision that is present with the group. The questions below reveal the basics of this current vision.
Think about your understanding and impression of the members of the group, both as a whole and as individuals. Answer the following questions from these perspectives. There may be multiple and different answers to each question.
The change: What is the meaningful change that your group creates when it performs with excellence? What is physically different in the world when members complete their work and provide it to a customer?
The worth: How does the change make the customer’s life better? What value do they find in the group’s work?
The possibility: What is the output or product of the group’s effort when this meaningful change is accomplished? What does the group create that makes it meaningful or valuable? How is this different from an unsatisfactory output?
Individual contribution: What do the individual, component tasks look like when they contribute to the successful output of the group?
Our belief: Do you personally see the change as a reality when you look at the members of the group? Are they aware of your belief?
The five factors connect the members of the group to a meaningful change only when they understand the story of vision. We will see how this shapes the group’s behavior and possibilities in the next section. The final questions are related to this understanding.
Do the members of the group understand these factors and the story of vision as a whole?
Do you see members evaluating options and making decisions against the five factors? Do they pick behaviors based on their contribution to the change?
Do the members talk to each other using the story of vision? Do they explain and challenge each other to accomplish the change through the other factors?
Does the group share and teach each other the five factors? Are new members told each factor, and in a way that makes them part of the group?
As we continue to explore vision, you may find new ideas or approaches to add to your understanding of the five factors within your group. This is good. The process of cultivating a vision is never complete, so build upon what you discovered here to continue improving your ability to connect the members’ contribution to a meaningful change in the world.