VISION + ACTIVATION!
… no, I am not pitching Guitar Hero or any of the other cool games made by Activision. But it’s a great name, and I am enamored with the idea of blending Vision and Activation. (I tried Visivation, but that’s just stupid-sounding.)
How do some companies get it right- finding the proper mix of Vision (direction) and Activation (execution)? While other companies work their employees to death, but with no vision, direction or purpose?
How do you get to that right mix? Spend too much time on the vision-thing and it’s navel gazing and an exercise in frustration. Competitors pass you by, people get tired of waiting for you to come down from the mountain with the prophetic mission statement, and the output ends up being something like “to increase value for all stakeholders”. Or just fire up the Dilbert mission statement generator. The point is, too much thinking is not healthy.
On the other hand, too much doing isn’t healthy either. Being busy is not the same as being productive- we’ve all been there. I remember my first brand assistant job at P&G, staying up all night to color in maps of the U.S., indicating the various brand development ranges by region. No one looked at my maps. Management by treadmill… hamster wheel… You know the drill.
Heaven forbid you get stuck working at a company with no vision and no activation. They won’t be around long, and you shouldn’t stick around to find out, anyway! I’ve seen a few, mostly companies paralyzed by some exogenous circumstance – - and frozen in place.
And then there’s the select few companies that seem to have it just right. They’ve found the balance. Clear direction and flawless execution. Everyone knows the compass bearings, and they also know how to navigate their way along. This is the NASCAR team in action – win the race, work together, move as one, know our role, deliver 110%. Costco and Target are pretty good examples of this. I think GE is, too, though they are getting bad press lately. Personally, I am a WalMart fan for their executional prowess – they just flat out get it done better than other retailers. Any other examples come to mind?
What would you say the percentages are? Companies with”
- clear vision and focused activation (the A players):
- clear vision but sloppy execution:
- weak vision and strong activation:
- weak vision and poor activation:
What’s also intriguing to me is how a company with a weak (or changing vision) can bring that to life, juice it up, roll it out, get everyone engaged, and spark new enthusiasm. I guess it’s called leadership!
I’ll leave you with this fabulous quote from businessman and mountainerr Werner Berger, “If I follow my passion and stay in action, my perceived limitations are no limitations at all.”
Let’s do good. Let’s do better!
