When I first start working with a new client, one of the things I listen for is whether or not the client has a powerful, clear, and compelling vision for the future. There are many reasons why having this kind of vision is important, but what I focus on first is whether I can hear that the client’s vision is informing their thinking and decision making.

Often, when a client is explaining the challenges they’re facing, and telling me what they wish to accomplish, I can hear that the most significant motivating factor is their fear, rather than their vision for the future - fear of never making it, fear of taking risks, fear of losing control, fear of not knowing what to do, or fear of making a mistake.

While fear is sometimes what motivates clients to enlist my services, it only goes so far as a motivational influence, and in my experience it is not sufficient to bring about the kind of changes that most of my clients say they really want. Vision, however, is another story. Vision can bring about real, deep, observable benefits and sustainable change. In his book “The Fifth Discipline”?, author Peter Senge writes, “There are two fundamental sources of energy that can motivate organizations: fear and aspiration. The power of fear underlies negative visions. The power of aspiration drives positive visions. Fear can produce extraordinary changes in short periods, but aspiration endures as a continuing source of learning and growth”? (2006, p.209).

The power of a clear and compelling vision to act as an organizational compass, or a guiding force, is often underestimated in business. Many businesses go through a strategic planning process of some sort, some of them shelling out big bucks for consulting in this area, only to end up with a vision that sits in the background and doesn’t really live and breathe as part of the fabric of the organization itself.

When this happens, it can be sign that the vision lacks personal relevance - the kind of relevance that comes from a vision that’s connected to all of the different personal aspirations of the people who make up an organization. This is one of the key characteristics of a great vision - it is “shared”? by all who serve it because it emerges from personal aspiration - from personal vision. Senge explains, “Shared vision involves the skills of unearthing shared “pictures of the future”? that foster genuine commitment and enrollment rather than compliance”? (2006, p.9).

His point is that what makes a great (shared) vision a potent and compelling influence on the culture of an organization is when that vision captures what it is that people long for and genuinely desire to work toward. “A shared vision, especially one that is intrinsic, uplifts people’s aspirations. Work becomes part of pursuing a larger purpose embodied in the organization’s products or services…”? (2006, p.193). When an organization is holding a shared vision, that vision is palpable, and its influence on thinking and decision making is clearly evident. Strategy is dictated by what course of action best serves the fulfillment of the vision.

References
Senge, Peter M. (2006). The fifth discipline: the art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Doubleday/Currency.

Are you a coach, consultant, or another kind of helper? Have you ever examined the status relationship between consultant and client?

This article may be a little off-purpose for some readers, but I thought it was worth putting out there anyway. If you do any coaching or consulting, you may get some juice from this look at the status relationship between client and consultant.

How is status a factor in the helping relationship? What are the factors that contribute to a disequilibrium of status? What are the advantages of creating an equilibrium in the status relationship?

From “Equilibrating the Status Relationship Between Client and Consultant”
by Erek Ostrowski:

The stereotypical and widely held image of the consultant as the quintessential “expert with all the answers”? undermines the true power and possibilities of the consulting relationship. The real potential of consultation to produce significant, lasting results lies in the ability of the consultant to create and maintain a status equilibrium in his/her relationship with the client. This is the only way to access the heart of the situation, to make a valuable contribution, and ultimately, to be of service to the client.

In order to understand why status plays such an important role in the consulting relationship, it may help to consider that the dynamics of the consulting relationship are essentially very similar to any helping relationship. We can gain insight into the consultant’s world by examining the role of the helper, and the helper’s relationship with the person seeking help.

Read More:

equilibrating-the-status-relationship

“Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.” –Warren G. Bennis

As a leader, your ability to inspire the people you lead is a function of your willingness to allow them to shine.

Inspiration is never a matter of proving yourself or your own point of view, or suppressing the opinions of others. Inspiration isn’t about impressing people with your own intelligence or ability.

In order to inspire the people you lead, you need to recognize their unique gifts and abilities, and reward them for expressing their own creativity and dedication. Inspiring people means letting them be great, and letting them know… that you know they are great. Read more

In any organization, the flow of communication between people is vital to productivity, and plays a huge role in shaping organizational culture and influencing your experience of being at work.

When communication is open and easy, people are more likely to contribute their thoughts and ideas, accept accountability, and provide leadership.

When communication is suppressed, controlled, or dominated, people are less likely to contribute their thoughts and ideas, and less likely to engage in the kind of new conversations that can lead to new results. Read more

Evelyn Lim, my friend at Attraction Mind Map, posed an excellent question in a comment on my last post entitled “A Great Perspective on Accountability”.

In case you missed it, I’ve pasted the comment, followed by my response, below.

At the risk of regurgitating stuff you’ve already read, I think this point is so relevant, and so important, that it needs to be emphasized over and over again.

Evelyn’s question gets right to the heart of the matter of learning how to foster accountability in an organization, and it points to a common misconception endorsed by many businesses, and many business philosophies.

Evelyn: Enjoyed the snippets that you posted. Many organizations tie sales commission and bonuses to their payouts to employees to make them more accountable and responsible as well. Do you think this is a good way?

Me: Thanks for your comment! I think sales commissions and bonuses are a great way to reward people for being accountable, but as a strategy for creating accountability, or creating a culture of accountability, these tactics fall short.

True accountability can’t be “bought�. It has to occur to employees as an opportunity to demonstrate their strengths and abilities by holding a degree of ownership. It has to occur as an opportunity to be someone who has a say in how things go.

In other words, in order for the reward system to work, accountability has to be there already! The reward is a way of acknowledging someone’s willingness to choose to be accountable.

Accountability is something of pivotal value to business and society, but when it comes to creating a culture of accountability in an organization, or fostering accountability in the people you lead, it’s easy to overlook the fact that true accountability must be chosen, or developed from within, and cannot be imposed. Read more