When a strategic plan does not produce the planned results, lack of action is often cited as the culprit. It is a fair assessment. Writing a strategic plan does not produce results. Taking action on it does. Let’s consider for a second though, that there may be an even more sinister culprit behind ineffective strategic plans.
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
~Japanese Proverb
Many well written strategic plans lack vision. A vision is not a goal. A vision is not a succinctly written statement. A vision is a clear picture in your mind of what you are working to create. Visioning requires us to imagine the future so clearly and vividly in our own mind, that we empower others to see it. When we have a vision, we are seeing the future. What we can imagine, we can create. What we cannot imagine, we cannot create.
Lack of vision is like putting together a 5,000 piece puzzle without a picture of the completed puzzle. When an organizational vision is lacking, employees cannot envision the future they are working to create OR they have a starkly different vision of the future than leadership. This leads to frustration, apathy and dissension because everyone is working to create a different picture (vision) with the same puzzle pieces (action steps). It creates a nightmare.
When an organization has a clear vision for the future, employees actively participate in the creation of that future. There is less resistance to taking strategic action because the anticipated end result is clear. We create the intended result because we can see, collaboratively and collectively, what we are working to create.