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• An incentive to acquire and more effectively use assets and
resources.
• Communication of the organization’s goals.
• Participants that are clear on the direction needed to tackle

important issues.
• The fostering of creativity by providing the opportunity to think
collaboratively in innovative ways.
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A shared vision also should include common values and beliefs. Common
values and beliefs are the fundamental principles that guide an

organization. They provide a basis for action and communicate
expectations for behaviors. They provide:
• Common expectation of how to treat one another.
• An opportunity to unite individuals with differing perspectives by
focusing on their common beliefs and values.

• A supportive environment for working together collaboratively
and creatively.
• Clarifying what is important.
• A framework for assuring an integration of the organization’s
culture, plans, and actions. 253

A shared vision for an organization doesn’t happen by accident. It requires

a systematic process that involves the key stakeholders. This process has to
engage them in a way that gets them thinking about the desired future for
the organization on which they can all come to some level of agreement. A
successful vision for an organization should never be the product of one
individual, even if that individual is the executive director of the

organization. The following exercise is one example of such a group
visioning process that can be readily used within the organization.

Exercise 30: Involve the Board in crafting a new vision for the
organization. In a retreat or workshop environment, break the board
into groups of five or six. Give them the following instructions:

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http://www.naccho.org/topics/infrastructure/mapp/upload/visioning_full.pdf.
253
http://www.nwcdc.coop/Resources/CSS/CSS03CreatingVision.pdf
David Kolzow 247