Strategy · Visioning

Make the future visible

A useful vision turns possibility into a shared direction people can use for choices today.

Inspired by The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking by Michael D. Watkins. This is an original explanation, not a reproduction of the text.

The idea

A vision is not a slogan or prediction. It is a concrete picture of a preferable future: who benefits, what becomes possible, how the organization behaves differently, and why that future is credible enough to pursue.

The vision should guide tradeoffs without prescribing every step. Pair aspiration with strategic choices and early evidence. People need to see both the destination and why the first move is rational under uncertainty.

Make it concrete

“Be the best service” gives a team little guidance. “Let a small business resolve any routine payroll issue in one session, without specialist help” identifies the user, experience, and capability. It helps the team prioritize searchable guidance and frontline authority over another escalation layer.

Keep this: Describe the future precisely enough to guide a present-day no.

Try it

Write a two-sentence future state for your team. Name one current project it supports and one appealing project it would cause you to decline.