Shared Vision for Success

This is an excerpt of a very nice workshop conducted in the Area conference of Toastmasters held at Nijkerk this January by Gustavo L Guerriero. The speaker wonderfully highlighted the importance of having a collective vision for the success of a group. It is a concept that can be utilized in all walks of life.

Relationships built on unified goals

Having a shared vision for the team or board will have an enduring impact, since it turns the team into a social identity group. Social Identity Groups increase commitment and loyalty, whether to sports teams or brands or organizations. Its positive impact improves by reviewing it and the collective excitement about it regularly. 

In teams, organizations and communities, sustained desired change can be motivated by bringing the people into what is called, PEA (Positive Emotional Attractor) while creating a shared vision, and then periodically, reminding people of this shared vision and purpose.

You can attempt to create a tipping point and move a person into the PEA by arousing hope, compassion, mindfulness, or playfulness.

How do we do that?

Types of Activities that invoke the experience of:

1. Mindfulness: meditation, yoga, tai chi, Prayer, Physical exercise etc

2. Compassion: being in a loving relationship; having pets you can pet (i.e., dogs, cats) volunteering and helping those less fortunate,

3. Hope: thinking and talking with others about a future dream, personal or shared; being

4. Playfulness: laughing with others

Asking questions that arouse the PEA:

1. If your life were perfect and your dreams come true, what would your life and work be like in 10‐15 years? [vision/hope]

2. What are the values or virtues that are most important to you? What kind of person would you love to be? [mindfulness]

3. Who helped you the most become who you are or get to where you are?

How to guide the conversation?

1. Ask questions that are likely to arouse the PEA in the coachee

2. Pay attention to the tipping points in the coachee’s mood during the conversation

3. Evoke a clear image of the coachee’s ideal self or personal vision

4. Identify specific people or key relationships in the coachee’s life and whether they are resonant or dissonant

Final Comments:

• Remind people of the purpose or vision of the organization. This arouses context, meaning   and hope.

• Be prepared with cues or questions to help them into the PEA

• Be prepared to offer some of your own reflections on the same question –It often feels  mutual

• Be prepared with ways to bring them back into the PEA if they start to slip into the NEA

• Go by feeling, not performance

• Make it a habit

Do’s:

‐  Engage people

‐  Challenge 

‐  Listen

‐  Make people feel part of what is going on

  Keep them informed

‐  Involve people in the discussion

‐  Make people feel part of the organization