Has team performance been less than spectacular lately? Has team energy been waning? It might be time to rekindle your team vision. Sometimes teams assume that their vision will continue to guide them, and they can get caught in team drift without realizing it.
Taking time to revisit your team vision can give your team the energy boost it needs. Vision is not a one-time activity. Your team vision needs to be revisited regularly.
Creating and maintaining a team vision is one of the most powerful investments you can make to unleash the full potential and brilliance of your team.
Eight Benefits of Team Vision
1. Unleashes Energy
Because vision stems from team member’s deeply held values and beliefs, it generates a tremendous excitement, a compelling spirit, and a powerful level of engagement.
2. Kindles Commitment
Because team members see a strong relationship between the team’s vision and what they personally believe in and care about, it kindles a passionate commitment.
3. Provides Perspective
A vision illuminates the team’s purpose so that all members are completely clear about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how their work relates to what they personally believe in. Members see themselves as part of a larger whole and they see where they fit in. Day-to-day activities have more meaning because it is clear how they contribute to the greater welfare of the team.
4. Supports Empowerment
When leaders know that shared direction and values drive team decisions, they are more willing to let go of control and let team members assume responsibility.
5. Sparks Creativity
Creativity flourishes because there is more room for autonomy within the broad guidelines that a shared vision provides. Because everyone knows they each desire the same result and share the same values, they can act more independently without concern for competing self-interest.
6. Triggers Trust
Because they realize they are not so different from each other, there is greater trust each other’s unique contributions. There is space for each person to contribute in their own way.
7. Stimulates Creative Disagreement
Team members can argue about ideas without fear of it leading to damaging personality conflicts and without fear of ridicule and exclusion.
8. Encourages Proactive Action
Instead of passively waiting for direction, team members take proactive action because they know they share responsibility for their team’s future.
Taking Action
For information on how to create a team vision, read: How to Create a Shared Vision That Works
