A Vision is one of the keys to successful programme delivery. If we do not know what the end-game looks like, how will we know when we have got there and will we know we are on course during the 'fog of war' that descends on even the best-run programmes? Too often, though, the Vision statement is omitted or poorly constructed and sometimes there is even confusion about what is meant by a Vision statement. This article looks at the importance of Vision statements and offers some top tips to ensuring successful Vision creation.

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it ... The future is not laid out on a track. It is something that we can decide, and to the extent that we do not violate any known laws of the universe, we can probably make it work the way that we want to."[1]

The importance of Vision statements

Directional clarity

Extraordinary events that drive discontinuous change are becoming commonplace. They bring with them short-term disruption and confusion. Overlay this on the ambiguous goals, organisational politics and various individual agendas common to most organisations and the result is a 'fog' that obscures the long-term future path. This is true for both the organisations as a whole and for the programmes running within that organisation.

At the critical point where the organisations and programmes need maximum clarity to ensure they take the right decisions and actions they are enveloped in a cloud of confusion. To counteract this, organisations and programmes, need a clear, bright light to point the way to the future. This guiding star to the future is the Vision statement. It provides the reference point during times of uncertainty so that the Long-term path remains clear, no matter how many course-corrections are needed in response to immediate realities.

In 'Built to Last', Collins and Porras[2] make a compelling case for the enduring success of visionary organisations. They demonstrate that these organisations, over a 65 year period, have delivered a return on investment that is 15 times greater than that of the general stock market. By their calculations, $1 invested in a 'visionary companies' stock fund would have grown to over $6,000 during that 65 year period. By contrast, $1 invested in a general market stock fund over the same period would only have grown to about $400.

Inspiration and commitment

A properly articulated Vision statement will also galvanise those who need to deliver it. It should generate a level of excitement and enthusiasm that inspires the organisation, or the particular programme team, to wholeheartedly commit to doing whatever it takes to succeed.

Defining terminology

The need for clear definitions

Before creating a Vision statement it is important to first agree on language. Often the language that should help cut through the fog only adds to it. The lexicon of Vision development and corporate strategic planning includes, amongst others: visions, goals, objectives, missions, strategies, plans, and purposes. Each of these is used by different people to mean different things. Sometimes they are used interchangeably. In Moorhouse we differentiate between organisational, or corporate, and programme Visions.

An organisational Vision

An organisational Vision is broad in scope. We follow the model described by Collins & Porras[3]. They identify four components to a Vision: the core values and purpose of the company (the core ideology), plus a highly ambitious long-term goal and a vivid description of what the company will look like once the goal has been achieved (the envisioned future). Creating an organisational, or corporate, Vision is a significant undertaking in its own right and is beyond the scope of this article. However, a corporate Vision should provide the context for a programme Vision statement.

A programme Vision statement

Once the organisational Vision has been agreed, then major transformational programmes are one of the mechanisms for moving towards it. The fog is equally likely to descend on these individual major programmes. In our opinion, a programme leader must, therefore, provide a simple and compelling programme Vision statement that will illuminate a clear course through the fog.

A programme Vision statement is necessarily narrower in scope than an organisational Vision. It describes the future end-state once the programme has been delivered but is unlikely to cover the more ideological elements of purpose and values. It is very similar in nature to the 'vivid description' used by Collins and Porras and, indeed, a programme Vision statement should be derived from, and support, the higher level corporate or organisational vision wherever possible.

We follow the definition of a programme Vision statement used by the Office of Government Commerce[4]:
“A Vision is a picture of a better future ... it is the basis for the outcomes and delivered benefits of the programme ... The Vision Statement is the outward-facing description of the future state following programme delivery ... [it] will describe the new services, improved service levels, or innovative ways of working with customers ... and should be used to engage and gain commitment from as many stakeholders as possible”.

The Vision statement not only illuminates the future but provides the foundations of the right path to get there. The Vision statement sets out a high-level picture of the future. It sets the context for the specific performance improvement outcomes that the programme must deliver. The outcomes are translated into a detailed blueprint, or description, for the desired end-state. The blueprint, in turn, enables the development of a route map from the present state to the future; and the route map itself indicates the various projects that will comprise the delivery programme plan.

Above all the programme Vision statement should guide day to day decision-making and prioritisation within the programme. A well-crafted Vision statement will inform and influence, often at a subliminal level, each of the micro-decisions and actions that take place in the course of a complex programme. The cumulative effect ensures the programme continually moves in the right direction.

Success criteria for programme Vision statements

A successful programme Vision statement should be:

Sufficiently abstract that everyone can relate it to their own context whilst still providing clarity about the intent and direction of the programme.
Enduring, inspirational and abstracted so individuals can make it their own. It should engage the heart as well as the head so that everyone is motivated to drive the changes and overcome obstacles.
Short and memorable. If people cannot quote the vision statement with a reasonable degree of accuracy it's probably too complicated and will fail to achieve its unifying purpose.
Explicit about how this better future is different from the present.
Desirable to key stakeholders.
Verifiable but without too many detailed performance targets. It should be clear when the organisation has arrived at its future state.
Flexible enough to remain relevant over its delivery life-cycle but without compromising its core intention.
Easy to communicate.

Some recent examples illustrate the effective application of these criteria:

“To use the power of the games to inspire change” – Organising Committee of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

“Enabling the NHS to deliver more efficient and safer healthcare” – Joint BT/NHS Local Service Provider programme to modernise the NHS IT systems and services

“Empowering people to manage their energy consumption and reduce their carbon emissions.” – Joint Vision statement of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA) for their SMART metering programme

Tips for Creating a Successful Vision

Tip 1 – Involvement in the process is as important as the output

The journey is as important as the destination, so the process of Vision creation should be as inclusive as practically possible. Involve a broad cross-section of people at all levels (particularly junior staff and external stakeholders, too, if allowed). Properly facilitated, the process of creating the Vision will build buy-in and ownership amongst the stakeholders. Spend a lot of time road-testing with cross-sections of staff and external stakeholders.

Tip 2 – Consult widely and don't discount too early

Build a structured approach to gathering input based on executive interviews and documents reviews. Use facilitated workshops initially. Feed in the inputs from the data gathering and run 'Ideas Generations' to build up the range of ideas before any discussion or elimination takes place.

Tip 3 – Use the Executive Team to refine ideas
Work with the Board/Executive team to distil some key thoughts from all the ideas gathered. Begin with the end in mind. Initially, a vision should be an 'ideal state': a nirvana that is unconstrained by people, systems and information. Conditional constraints can be added afterwards once it becomes clear there is no way round them.

Synthesise and agree the final words with the Board / Executive team but don't word-smith it to death. Good enough is good enough: the key point is agreement on what you're seeking to achieve in the programme. Evolve and hone subsequently - don't over-polish.

Tip 4 – Build Executive ownership

Ensure the Executive team members agree to hold each other to account on living the vision, and how they will do this.
Define how stakeholders will be positively impacted by the vision and ensure the Executive team communicate this widely to build understanding and generate support and tempo.

Tip 5 – Operationalise the Vision

Identify the key levers in achieving the ideal state and how these may be successfully influenced or optimised in realising the vision.
Put the detail of what life will look like when the vision has been achieved ('what's in it for me') in a separate document (a Blueprint).
Develop the route map for realising the vision (key outcomes / milestones year by year) and how the benefits will be made manifest to people and the organisation.
Translate the Vision into executable and measurable plans.
Make the Vision live. Develop branded communications to ensure the Vision is visible and a part of everyday life on the programme (eg on display around the office; used as a footer on documentation and email signatures).

Tip 6 – Keep it fresh

Be prepared to regularly review the vision to ensure it remains relevant and appropriate.

The Vision needs to become ubiquitous and baked into the fabric of what we do but, at the same time, we need to ensure it doesn't become irrelevant or stale in the face of changing circumstances.

Figure 1. The Moorhouse Vision Statement Creation Process

Conclusion

A robust and compelling Vision statement is even more critical to programme success during times of extreme uncertainty. Without it, the programme can quickly lose its way amongst the multitude of tactical responses that often have to be taken in response to emerging crises. This, in turn, can threaten the long-term future of the organisation.

At the same time, programme (and organisational) management needs to be able to embrace change in response to changing environmental conditions. It is the dynamic and flexible programmes that deliver true benefits.
Successful Vision statements must be clearly defined, easy to communicate and inspire commitment and energy amongst those who must deliver it.

Stakeholder involvement in the process by which they are developed and communicated is critical for building understanding and buy-in.

Visions that are not then translated into substantive Blueprints, Roadmaps, milestones and implementation plans are a waste of time and energy.

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." Japanese proverb

[1] "Inventing the Future", Alan Kay, President, Viewpoints Research Institute, in 'The AI Business: The Commercial Uses of Artificial Intelligence', edited by Patrick Henry Winston and Karen Prendergast, 1984
[2] “Built to Last”, James Collins & Jerry Porras, HarperBusiness Essentials, 2002
[3] “Building Your Company's Vision”, James Collins & Jerry Porras, Harvard Business Review, Sep-Oct 1996
[4] “Managing Successful Programmes”, Office of Government Commerce, TSO, 2007, Ch 5