Using A Shared Vision of the Future as a Means for Transformational Change

Note: this is a research excerpt from Roxanne Nicolussi’s “Bigger Thinking for Smaller Enterprises”, published in 2017 and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Let’s talk about a shared vision of the future as a means for transformational change.

Kotter’s (2007) 8 stage transformation process can be found below. Kotter explains that a successful transformation effort is guided by “a picture of the future that is relatively easy to communicate and appeals to customers, stockholders, and employees” (2007). Further, it is explained that a vision goes beyond the numbers that are typically found in five-year plans — both in longevity and qualitative specificity.

“A vision says something that helps clarify the direction in which an organization needs to move. It is usually a bit blurry, at least initially. But after the coalition works at it for three or five or even 12 months, something much better emerges through their tough analytical thinking and a little dreaming. Eventually, a strategy for achieving that vision…