When asked about their job, most people would say that the goal of their work is to make money for themselves and their company; they might give one or two details on how they accomplish that objective, but rarely does it go further than that. This trend is the likely reason why so many people dread going to work in the morning. They do not see the purpose of it. More and more people are trying to look for jobs that will give them meaning in life, but failing to find one. One solution to this issue is vision casting. Great leaders know how to cast their vision for their team and create buy-in from all of the members so that everyone is working towards a common goal that they feel motivated to accomplish.
What is Vision Casting?
Vision casting is when you as a leader create and share the goals of the group and vision for the future. The goal of vision casting is to bring cohesiveness to the group and give all of the members something to fight for and aspire toward. Vision casting doesn’t just apply to large companies; it can be valuable in any group from a school project to a sales team. In the academic world, it could look like this: “We will show our knowledge and hard work through this presentation and prove that we deserve an A on this project.” In a corporate setting, it might look like this: “We will work together to give our customers the best support in the company by always staying professional, yet showing our customers that we care.”
Who should cast the vision?
Most people think that the leader is the one in charge, so it should be the leader that makes the vision, but if the leader is the only one that has any say in the vision, then it becomes hard to create buy-in. Instead, you should create the vision with your team, and let their ideas be heard, so that they are more willing to fight for the vision and work to accomplish it with all of their strength.
What is the importance of buy-in?
Everyone has experienced a time when their leader or boss has an idea, but you think that it is the absolute worst idea in existence, and therefore only half-heartedly worked towards accomplishing it. That is the opposite of buy-in. Instead, buy-in is when the whole team believes in the goal and works to accomplish it. Therefore, buy-in is mandatory when you cast the vision. If your team does not believe in it, they will not work towards its goals.
At the end of the day, vision casting is a key element in creating a cohesive team. Without it, many groups can feel lost and without purpose, so as a leader, it should be one of the first conversations you have with your team. If done right the vision should excite them and instill a new passion in your team. If you feel like your team is losing their passion or just trying to make it through the week, maybe you should consider having a vision casting conversation to get everyone back on the same page. As a leader change starts with you, so you must keep in mind what your goals are, so you can continue to guide and motivate your team.
