This is an approach that can be used to encourage a team or a group of people to keep focusing on the goals to achieve. It is one that I have seen work in many situations.
Imagine that you lead a team and people are clear on the goals they aim to achieve by a certain date. How can you bring these to life and encourage people to keep focusing on the goals? One approach is to take the following steps.
You can start by putting a large piece of paper on the floor or on a big table. You can then head it in the following way.
The Positive Vision
The specific things we want to see happening –
or that have already happened – by … are:
You can provide people with lots of coloured pens and other materials. You can then give people the following instructions.
“I would like you to create a picture of the specific things you want to see happening – or that have already happened – by the date we have set. Such as by the end of the FY.
“I would like each of you to illustrate these things in some way. For example, you wish to describe:
“The goals that we have achieved … The responses from our customers – such as the actual phrases they have used to describe our work for them … And any other events that you want to depict.
“I would like you to use your imagination when doing this exercise. It can be important to be relatively realistic, of course, but it is also okay to stretch ourselves to work towards certain goals.
“It is also okay to put fun things that we may have done or achieved – as long as these are not rude or may upset people.
“So I would like each of you to take pens or whatever materials you want. You can then all spend fifteen minutes or so writing or drawing on the big piece of paper.
“Take your time to do this. We will then spend some time looking at it and also giving you time to, if you wish, describe of the things you have written or drawn.
“We will then take the big picture – the positive vision – and put it in a place where we can see it in our daily work.
“There may, of course, be events that could affect what we do. But this picture can provide a reminder of our overall goals.
“So, over to you, enjoy the process and dare to share your ideas. We can then aim to do our best to achieve the positive vision.”
You can, of course, adapt the exercise in your own way. As mentioned earlier, however, it is one that I have seen work because:
It brings the goals to life;
It encourages people to keep focusing on the positive vision.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach? How can you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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