Communication key to successful visioning

Commentary by Clarissa A. French

SBJ Staff

When it comes to creating a vision for your company and setting goals to achieve that vision the experiences of the Springfield Business Journal, a small business in its own right, have yielded what I think are some keys to success.

Everybody in! First of all, and especially if yours is a smaller company, open up the visioning process to everyone. This is good advice for just about any idea-generating process, but it is vital when pursuing an overall vision that everyone can live with and live up to.

Management may make the ultimate decisions, but each and every employee is a resource for new and exciting ideas about how the business can do things better, faster or more profitably. Let employees know their views are valued, welcomed and encouraged.

The truth is, we're all experts when it comes to our own jobs or departments who knows better the expectations, the processes, the efficiencies and the deficiencies of the workplace than the people who deal with them hands-on every day?

Also, the broader your base of input and information, the broader your potential base of support when it comes time to implement the new ideas and processes to fulfill your vision.

Make it fun. Getting those creative juices flowing has a lot to do with being relaxed and having a good time. During our visioning process, we've been known to break out the crayons, building blocks and bubble gum.

It may sound silly, but after doodling, building towers out of blocks and absorbing some sugar, we were cheerful, relaxed and bubbling with ideas. Laughter was heard in the board room and the Earth didn't crumble as a result.

Cal LeMon, of the Executive Edge, who facilitated part of our visioning process, pointed out that the most creative people are children. Unfortunately, as we grow older, most of us curb those impulsive, creative tendencies.

Tapping into those things that delighted us as children bright colors, chunky shapes, play also taps us into that child-like creativity.

No-fire zone. Another great piece of advice from LeMon was the idea of suspending criticism when brainstorming. Innovation comes from a free flow of ideas, one building upon or inspiring another, not from treating every idea like the next target in a skeet shoot.

Maybe an idea is impractical. Maybe it's unrealistic because the funding, the personnel or the resources just aren't there. But by refraining from negative statements or criticism, your group may be surprised to see other members of the team step forward with ideas to generate the funding, free up the personnel, or apply an underutilized resource that will make the idea work, and work profitably.

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