This case study illustrates the use of visioning techniques to draw out and deploy a compelling vision through the organisation
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The power of questions

Unfortunately, it seems that many business visions are developed without accessing that space at all. The results are usually uninspiring, pedestrian, and eminently forgettable.
Conversely, spending time getting back into that space can make all the difference to confidence, commitment, culture and overall performance.
Approaches to generating a vision

- Interviews (individual or group) using visioning questions to pull people’s thinking up and into an ideal future
- Visioning flipchart walkrounds where people engage with paradigm shifting questions and build on each others ideas
- Modelling and drawing to access and explore subconscious metaphors, sometimes preceded by guided visualisation
- Walk and talk visioning
The first three of these are explained in more detail in the section titled ‘Other Visioning Examples’. However, this case study focuses on an example of the fourth approach – using a walk and talk method.
Leaving the office behind

Two of them were stepping up into a new joint role soon to be vacated by its current incumbent: An inspiring and well respected MD who had led the organisation into its recent success and acclaim. They felt ready for this, and really wanted to make their mark to prove worthy of the trust that had been placed in them. But the key question was, what was that mark to be?
The third member of the trio, a consultant, had been invited to help them think through their answer to this.

Moving beyond the obvious
For the first hour, the conversation was fairly analytical. A lot of it was about extrapolating from where they were now. And thinking about what might be needed in their anticipated future. But there was no real energy to it. The conversation was calm, intelligent and reflective. There were some good ideas emerging, but nothing that brought excitement into their voices.
The consultant wasn’t worried, he was used to the need to cover the basics first, and to the time it takes to find the question that catches. There are lots of options for what that question might be, including magic wands, legacies, pride, … But the key is to sense what is going on underneath – to allow the right question to emerge into your unconscious. And in this case the question that emerged was: How will you feel in a few month’s time when you wake up on a working morning, and you think about delivering that vision?
Finding the spark
The other two pondered that question as they walked. The answers were pretty much as expected. But then the consultant followed up with ‘How would you ideally want to feel, if it was your choice about how you could feel?’ That clicked. The answers had more energy to them, and the heads lifted up from the downward reflective gaze. There were flashes of humour, and connection.

There was nothing really special about that particular question. But it was right for them at that point. And it opened their thinking together at a new level.
There were clearly further questions required to test their thinking, and to refine it into something that could be shared and tested more widely: Does it meet the needs of the business? How will others engage with it? Can it embrace what you see as your responsibilities? Will it make a difference? How do you feel about it now?
The return walk to the office was full of energy and ideas and enthusiasm. Once in the office, it was possible to note it all down and to begin to refine it into something to take forward. And to think about the best ways to do that.
Expanding ownership for the vision
As far as could be practical, the two MDs wanted their people to experience what they had experienced (but with more appropriate clothing and footwear). They rightly felt that it would inspire far greater ownership if people could self-discover and build on the vision, rather than have it delivered to them.

The result was a huge up-swell in energy. The wording of the vision changed slightly to accommodate the new ideas. However, it lost none of its emotional connection for the two MDs. However, it now extended that emotional commitment across the leadership team.
The final step in the workshop was to help the wider leadership team with a similar process for engaging the hearts and minds of their own people as they cascaded it down through the organisation. The result has been an astounding success. The business continued to outperform its contemporaries. Culture and energy thrived. Their vision has in large part been realised (to the benefit of the wider UK). And the two MDs have progressed to new and more challenging roles within this global organisation.
Other Visioning Examples
Walk and talk can be very powerful, but it is not for everyone or for all situations. That said, we have used it to help people develop visions, or to align their own visions to an existing vision, in many different situations.
More commonly, we have used the techniques listed below – together with one specific application of each. Each of these approaches uses unusual elements to inspire and access people’s dreams and aspirations – even where they initially don’t think they have any.
Interview based visioning

Walkround based visioning

Models and metaphors

To explore this topic further, feel free to contact us. We find our own thinking is continually sharpened and enriched by the questions people ask, and by the discussions that emerge from it.
Author: Mike Clargo | Culturistics