Change and Organisation Vision and Values
Every organisation should have documented vision, goals and values. The vision and values define the overarching themes of the organisation and influence how the organisation operates.
The Vision
A clear organisational vision defines long-term and short-term objectives, empowers and inspires leaders and followers to accomplish the business goals, and strengthens their adaptive systems to maintain an advantage in the fiercely competitive and ever changing world.
Any Change Programme within an Organisation should contribute to the organisations vision to ensure the transformation:
- Works in unison and contributes to the company's direction.
- Maintains everyone's attention on the direction and goals of the company.
Importantly, the Change Programme must never contradict or undermine the organisational vision. The role of the Change Manager is to ensure the Programme and Organisation values are aligned throughout the project lifecycle.
Values
The Change Programme must embody and contribute to the organisations values enacting the essential beliefs and behaviours. Importantly:
- The sponsor must demonstrate the values, behaviours and ways of relating and communicating with stakeholders.
- The sponsor and other leaders must demonstrate a ‘we are already there already' behaviour.
- Embodying the vision and values will inspire others and show them the way, not intimidate or imply criticism.
- Creating an atmosphere of openness and responsiveness for constructive feedback is an important mechanism in this process.
- Without feedback from peers and subordinates, the sponsor may become isolated from what’s happening and be viewed as a ‘part of the problem.’
- The Change Programme must not contradict or undermine the organisational the values.
- The programme must always embody these moralistic pillars of a business and use them as a foundation for change.
Communicating the change programme vision & values
No matter how wonderful your vision statement is, how well it is articulated will determine its effectiveness.
It is essential to keep the vision at the forefront, particularly during difficult times of transition. The Change Team must define the programmes's vision, objectives, values and/or benefits early in the Compose Phase. Success then depends on the transformation programme communicating early awareness of the organisation and/or transformation vision, strategy, objectives. Instead of merely delivering new material, messages must evoke and maintain a new context... the new way of working.
It may have been explained to stakeholders during some early meetings, however, that is insufficient. It's crucial to regularly and continuously communicate the transformation programme vision. Leaders must create a plan for sharing their vision, and leaders and managers must put it into action. Communicating the vision unites those who will implement the change and those who will be touched by it around a single goal, ensuring that all decisions will be made to realise the vision.
Effective vision communication is a critical leadership characteristic that is essential during times of transition. In the manage function we learn about the change communications plan. The change communications plan and all other messages about the project must evoke and sustain a new context, not just deliver new content. Keep messages straightforward by using anecdotes to illustrate the advantages, being genuine and accessible, and assisting employees in reaching conclusions compatible with the organisation's future goal. By doing this, organisations will better engage their workforce and inspire them to contribute to the coalition for change
