Stephen Billing’s Blog

Lots of change management rhetoric exhorts managers to have a clear vision of the future. But what if you don’t have a clear vision? Having been a strong aficionado of visions in the past, I have come to see that you can still move forward successfully with change initiatives, even without a clear vision.

In fact, being the contrary person that I am, I contend that a clearly articulated vision is not important, and can actually get in the way of the change you want to achieve. You do not need a clear vision to lead and implement change effectively.

My perspective is that first of all, as a leader of change, it is important to be comfortable with NOT knowing ‘the vision’. Second, it is important to be clear about your intentions at the present time, and to listen for the intentions of those around you. Your listening to those around you who have different intentions, different backgrounds or come from different disciplines will surely lead to a new, spontaneous or unexpected outcome, one that leads you all forward. 

The change projects I’m now involved in are much more complex than those in my early days when I was discovering the concept of vision and working to articulate the vision clearly. Nowadays no one seems to be clear about what the vision is – that’s one of the key reasons I get hired. My clients are, however, able to articulate in some way what it is that they want to change. But this is not in the form of a vision. And spending time ‘word smithing,’ trying to turn it into a vision is a waste of time. 

Any vision is only an intention by a manager or a project team. Furthermore it is often their intention for what someone else will do, such as front line staff.  Managers in change projects, and middle-level line managers often find themselves in the unenviable position of having to wrestle with telling front line staff how senior managers want them to change.  

If you don’t do this by communicating a vision, what should you communicate? 

The results of any change initiative are actually the outcome of the interweaving of intentions of those driving the change and those who they are trying to change, according to Norbert Elias. So as a leader or facilitator of change, all you can communicate is what your intentions are. Then it pays to listen carefully to the responses, and make your own response. 

I began to despair a little when I first started to understand that we are a lot less in control than change management rhetoric would have us believe. But our actions as leaders and facilitators of change are still important and make a difference. 

Don’t waste time on "vision". Tell people what your intentions are, what you want to achieve. And then observe and listen closely to their responses. Your change efforts will be much more effective. 

What do you think?  

*Elias N, (1994) The Civilizing Process, Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.