Are you too close to your vision to see it clearly? Have you ever held something close to your face in order to see it clearly only to discover that it comes into focus when you hold it farther away? Or am I just revealing my age here??
At a recent client retreat we filled pages and pages of those giant sticky notes with ideas, thoughts and suggestions that poured forth from the team members. As we entered mid-afternoon it was time to pull the thoughts together, determine the issues that stood out for the team and begin to prioritize. The group members were willing participants, pulling ideas from one sheet of paper and another. I was scurrying from one side of the room to the other to highlight the ideas that were coming to the forefront. After a couple of minutes of this I realized that the team could see the ideas better than I could. I was too close to the sheets of paper. I was too close to the vision that was forming.
So I stepped back from the sheets of paper and moved into the main part of the room so that I could see what the team was seeing. The role of the facilitator is to help capture the ideas not to create the strategy or vision; that is for the team to do. That’s a good thing as the team could see what I could not!
The team, and other supporters, can help you see things you may not or articulate what you cannot.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have shared lots of ideas with you on formulating a vision. Many of those exercises were solitary, designed to get the owner or “vision originator” formulating thoughts before sharing with others. I do recommend that as part of the process you begin to share this vision with others. The team, and other supporters, can help you see things you may not or articulate what you cannot. Consider the use of an outside facilitator in a retreat or strategy session, someone unattached to the outcome who can stimulate and then capture the ideas, providing a place and space for you and the team to think freely.
This is the time of year when many people begin thinking about what’s next for the coming year. Schedule a retreat or strategic planning session and begin the process of bringing your vision into reality. Call me, 713-705-3815, or email me at barbara@acceluspartners.com if you would like to step back from the vision and bring it into focus.