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can serve as a reminder. Monitor your progress and hold each other accountable for achieving your
shared vision.

10. Want to rally people around an opportunity? Add urgency. Change expert John Kotter advocates
showing a high degree of “strategic fitness” when it’s vital to jump on opportunities quickly. Strategic
fitness means being able to act faster, more nimbly, more creatively to what’s new. A well-crafted
vision can accelerate your efforts. It can create a sense of urgency around a high-stakes opportunity.
Get people excited about what’s possible. In the vision, vividly portray what success looks like.
Include a time frame that’s ambitious yet attainable. Then encourage people to step up and
participate. Recognize those who galvanize others to get involved. Notice how people embrace the
vision and make it their own. Socialize catchphrases that go viral. Keep the urgency going. Remove
barriers. Communicate and celebrate wins from the start.

11. Experiencing roadblocks? Show optimism and persevere. Your vision may not materialize at the
pace you want. It may be sidetracked by problems or unforeseen events. The destination may no
longer seem feasible. But doom and gloom forecasts do little to rouse energy needed to achieve a
vision. So make a conscious effort to address difficulties without letting them drag you down. Talk
about what you’ve learned from setbacks. Use delays as opportunities to regroup and reinvigorate.
Then get back to work. According to the research of Angela Duckworth, showing “grit”—sustained
interest and effort toward long-term goals—is a primary predictor of success. Grit surpassed
intelligence and talent as key for achievement in a wide variety of contexts—business, the military,
education. Work hard to make your vision a reality.

12. Vision fading? Keep it in focus. Given all the things that compete for attention, even a compelling
vision may fade into the background. Make sure it stays at the forefront. Reinforce it repeatedly. Refer
to it in meetings, updates, videos, conversations. Create a memorable symbol, slogan, or image of
the vision that makes the cause come alive. Something that captures the imagination. Conjures up
exciting possibilities. Set up a friendly competition or get others involved in creating it so more people
are invested. Use visual scorecards—such as dashboards or thermometers—to show progress
toward realizing the vision. Regularly share stories that illustrate progress. Reward those who move
the needle in the desired direction.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Barón, M. (2013, August 28). Top tips for creating a clear vision for your business. Small Business
UK.
Kotter, J. (2011, April 27). The biggest mistake I see: Strategy first, urgency second. Forbes.

Moss Kanter, R. (2012, October 23). 12 Guidelines for deciding when to persist, when to quit.
Harvard Business Review Blog Network.

Spiro, J. (2010, August 30). How to get employees excited about your business vision. Inc.

Job assignments
• Be a change agent for a new process, product, or service. Create a symbol for the change and
champion it through to implementation.
© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

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