October 2022

A shared vision is a view of some future state that is agreed upon and shared by others. It is useful when managing change and when you have people who are initially resistant to change.

It can also be described as a shared mental model of a future state of a product, process, group, or organization or a shared cognitive image of some ideal future state. Fortune magazine suggests that it is the most important leadership idea that came about in the twentieth century.

Craig Pearce and Michael Ensley define shared vision as :

”a common mental model of the future state of the team or its tasks that provides the basis for action within the team.”

The vision should generate excitement, which in turn will encourage involvement. It should be clear and concise enough for people to be able to effectively communicate the vision to others.

In particular, the vision should make it clear how the organization will improve as a result of its implementation. If possible use tangible measurements to convey this point. For example, implementing will result in increased sales, profit, return on investment, larger bonuses, opportunities for advancement, etc.

Make it clear in the vision how the implementation of it will be of benefit to those involved. For example, it may result in safer working conditions, more interesting work, less effort on a particular task enabling more time to focus on other more interesting work projects, etc.

To make it shared is the responsibility of the managers. They must communicate it throughout the organization. Doing so should make it clear to all why the change is important.

More and more so it is teams who are responsible for developing innovation and for this reason having a vision that all are agreeable to is increasingly important. This importance was proven by Craig Pearce and Michael Ensley in the research that they undertook in 2004…

”Innovation effectiveness was positively, reciprocally, and significantly related to a shared vision. Thus, the perception of innovation effectiveness appears to have a facilitative effect on teams that are responsible for delivering product and process innovations and this effect appears to carry through to future success in the innovation process.”

To have others share your vision it is important to listen to the people you are sharing it with – try and make sure that it includes some of their aspirations, hopes, and ideas for the future and to do this you have to ask questions and listen very carefully to the answers that you get back before formulating the vision.

Go From Shared Vision To The Home Page

If you had some fake friends from the past who were your best friends and they made rumors / said other things about you then this is one thing that you could do…

Do the same thing to them as they did to you. This should get them very hard, but don’t do everything so fast that you miss all of the fun, do it slowly and sit back and enjoy as you watch and get your revenge back.

by bilinmeyen
(Canada)

An idea from July 1963 for a screw-in drain plug for a remote outboard tank.

Sloshing that last left-over pint of gasoline out of the inch hole at the top of the can is not the easiest of tasks.

A drain plug at the bottom is a simple and effective solution.

by H Anderson
(Cassopolis, Michigan)

Most people appreciate the benefits of having a wheeled case for their laptop or cabin bag but don’t you wish it could do more?

My idea is to add a fold-down scooter with a single rear wheel and use the existing 2 wheels to steer.

This would allow you to move around city centers and airports at speed.

As developments in compact motors and lithium batteries develop a motorized version could also be produced.

By Richard Gilliard, Leeds, UK

This idea was originally put forward by Enric Sala who is an explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society (based in Washington, DC)

I think this is an excellent idea which I read about in the January-February 2012 issue of the Harvard Business Review. The consumption of fish by humans is now greater than the rate at which they can reproduce.

In the past efforts to solve this problem have included such ideas as placing limit quotas on the number of fish fishermen can catch and lower industry subsidies.

This idea is to make 20% or more of the ocean completely off-limits. From research taken from 124 reserves in 29 countries when this is done the number of species in fish banks increases by 21% on average and it also results in 28% bigger fish. In a 10-year period, the total weight of fish increases to over 446%.

Other positive side effects include the rejuvenation of adjacent areas and higher reproduction rates. Fishermen who fish next to such reserves see a significant increase in their catches over a five-year period. Also, reserves increase tourism.

It is suggested that these positive effects should more than offset the financial losses to fishermen caused by the creation of no-fishing zones.

This is thought to be an inexpensive solution to a global problem.

“Public-private partnerships would be an effective way of getting this idea to scale quickly. Companies might be willing to invest in fish banks, covering short-term profits from larger catches, more tourism, and blue-carbon projects. Creating fish banks would thus turn fishing populations from hunters into shepherds of the sea, who help protect Earth’s biggest asset, the ocean.”

For further details of this excellent idea, please refer to page 52 of the January-February 2012 edition of Harvard Business Review.

May 1963…

Rock and roll while you stroll with this new battery-powered radio-phonograph which will play 45-r.p.m. records while being carried. It will even play when turned upside down.

Both radio and record player operate on a single battery of four D-size flashlight cells.

Records are held on a freely turning spindle with spring clips. A rubber wheel in contact with the record rim turns the disk.

The motor is transistor-regulated to save battery energy. A plastic lid snaps in place in front to enclose and protect the machinery while it is operating.

Play is semi-automatic – you put the record on the spindle and push a button. The tonearm comes down automatically and also returns to the starting position when the record is finished.

The “Swing-Along” was marketed by Channel Master and was priced at $79.95

Overcoming resistance to change can be key where innovations are concerned.

For example, a new web-based software system to enable employees to book their own flights, car rentals and hotels might be seen as a threat to the travel booking department and it may be seen as additional unnecessary work that people simply don’t have time for by your employees.

Such resistance to change should be anticipated early on in a project and methods put in place to help diffuse it, work around it, or if you are left with no choice simply ride straight over it.

Possible Causes For The Resistance To Change

Before you can overcome the resistance it is wise to be aware of why the resistance exists. Usually, it is a result of one of the following causes…

People not agreeing with or understanding the value/benefits of the innovation.
Fear of the unknown.
People have had no opportunity to provide input in the planning or implementation of the change.
Little or no reward/benefits to the people impacted by the idea.
Increased effort from people is required as a result of implementing the idea.
Fear that the change will result in job cuts.
Personality clashes between the people affected by the idea and the inventor of the idea.
No trust in the people who have been mandated to implement the change
Belief that the change is unnecessary or will make the situation worse
A belief that the idea is inferior to another idea.
A feeling that the change will result in a loss of security, status, money, or friends.
Bad experiences from similar changes that had been or been attempted to be implemented in the past

Being aware of the causes mentioned above and being able to specifically identify which ones may be relevant for the particular innovation that you are implementing greatly assists your chances of overcoming the resistance to change.

Mobilize Energy And Commitment

To get everyone motivated and committed to your change you should always begin a change effort with a clearly defined business problem.

Business problem definitions should make it clear to all concerned why the change must be undertaken. They should be well thought out so as to ensure they effectively define the problem and they should be convincing enough to motivate people through a sense of urgency in the message that they convey.

You need to get people to understand that the pain and additional effort involved with implementing the change will far outweigh the future pains associated with maintaining the status quo.

Create A Shared Vision

Once you have defined the business problem you then need to start thinking about the future state. Here you need to create a clear, shared vision, which you should communicate to all to ensure they fully understand the reasons for the change.

Identify The Leaders

For change to be successful, strong leadership needs to be put in place and this must be clearly defined and communicated.

You should have someone senior to the organization champion or sponsor the change. They should be responsible for providing the resources required to make the change a success and they should be responsible for the success or failure of the change.

Create Quick/Small Wins

Try and get some momentum and motivation going by focusing on some results rather than just the activities. Does the task that you are working on actually contribute to the end result? Often many tasks that seem important in fact contribute little at all to the end result, for example, training or re-structuring a team, etc.

Focus the team’s efforts on result-driven activities, particularly ones that can be implemented quickly. Anything that you can do immediately to improve performance will undermine the cynics and make it difficult to block the needed change. Small result-driven wins also assist with fine-tuning the vision and can turn people who were negative of the project into supporters.

Adjust The Vision If Necessary

Changes rarely go to the exact plan that was set out for them. As new knowledge or circumstances arise be ready to adjust your vision. The key is to be flexible, adaptable, and realistic at the same time. Adjust plans regularly so as to accommodate the schedules of the people on your team and the resources at hand.

Communication

When overcoming resistance to change good, relevant, and timely communication is essential. You may need to tailor your communications to the different stakeholders so that it better fits their unique perspectives of the change you are trying to implement. Try to make your communications energizing and inspiring. In particular, you will need to tell them…

Why you are undertaking the change? What business problem, issue or reason are you trying to rectify? What were the available solutions? Why did you arrive at the current solution?
What your plans are? When do you expect to have the change implemented? What do you hope to achieve by its implementation (quote metrics / actual numerical targets if possible)? Explain how the implementation of the change will benefit the group or individual with that you are communicating.
Be clear on the scope of the change. What’s in scope, and what is out of scope? Who is affected, and who isn’t? Use facts and figures where possible to help try and eliminate any upfront fear, uncertainty, or reservations. Explain what will change and what won’t.
Be as honest and as up-front about the change as you can. Don’t delay the communication of bad news.
Communicate the risks that you have identified and what your plans are to mitigate those risks
Communicate the rewards of success. How will people be incentivized for the additional work that will be required to lead to success?
Create a communication plan that utilizes a diverse set of communication styles. Consider stand-up presentations, group meetings, emails, blogs, wikis, newsletters, hosted events, websites, etc. Your goal is to get the change program across and understood by all the stakeholders so the more communication styles you can use the better.

Don’t make the mistake of only giving out in communications. Remember communication is a two-way process and therefore you should also listen and provide answers. If people aren’t asking questions then ask them how they are doing and how they think the change will impact them.

Lessons I Have Learned

As an IT manager, I have spent most of my working career implementing systems that result in a change to a number of people and as a result one of the best lessons I have ever learned towards diffusing the resistance to change and making the change more acceptable is to attempt to get your core users involved in the project from the very offset. By that I mean make them feel that the project is theirs. Involve them with the design; ask them how things could be improved and generally make them feel part of the project.

Obviously, this cannot always be done and if that is the case and your project has one or more resistors then you first need to identify who the resistors are.

Second, you need to determine the cause of the resistance to change, and then you need to try and gain a deep understanding of why that individual has adopted this position. Try and imagine yourself in their shoes. What do they currently value about the status quo? Can you present the benefits of your idea to the resistor in ways that will promote/strengthen their existing values?

The key to all this is not to oversell your case and end up in an argument the last thing you want is to further your disagreements with the individuals involved as this can end up simply increasing the resistance to change.

Go From Resistance To Change To Disruptive Innovation

Go From Resistance To Change To The Home Page

June 1963…

This rake handle yardstick can help you space your plants accurately.

To create your own, paint narrow rings around the rake handle six inches apart and mark the one-inch and two-inch spaces.

May 1963…

Rails brace moving cargo. Slotted rails and telescoping, spring-loaded poles, according to this recent patent, might speed cargo handling, reduce in-transit damage and lessen the need for placing items in crates.

The rails would be fastened to the roof, floor, and sides of the truck or freight car. Snapping pole ends into holes would keep the cargo from shifting.

July 1963…

This projector turns words into pictures.

The New York police are now using a quick-identification projector invented by one of their own members.

It puts together from coded slides a verbal description of a wanted man and projects his image on a screen where it can be photographed and distributed.

It works from slides offering 600 combinations of facial features, similar to a previous system, but with important differences. The system, unlike the earlier one, uses a projector, and in addition, has built into it a series of wafer-thin mirrors that can distort any of the features at a press of a button.

A chin can be lengthened, nose shortened, or eyes widened if a witness desires. The machine cuts the work of hours down to minutes.

Detective Peter Smith, who used to draw identification pictures, developed the machine on his own time and money and turned it over to the department without charge.