Strong leaders and their teams do not stumble into greatness by accident. They envision it. They plan for it. They build their company around their vision – the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

When we see leaders and their companies floundering, it’s often the result of an ill-defined vision, which results in a weak, incohesive company culture. It is the leader’s responsibility to create and share a vision that drives desired employee behaviors and mentalities. 

This is what many in the industry refer to as “casting vision.” When you define, explain, and breathe life into a vision, you mobilize the people within your company to set behavioral change in motion. Your vision as a leader is the thing that exists between the “what is” and the “what could be.” 

As a leader, here are three ways you can incorporate vision casting into how you guide your organization’s culture and behavioral change. 

(1) Define Your Vision

Many companies have taken the time to define their core values or overarching purpose, but many fail to truly tap into their ultimate vision. If you’re going to get people on board and drive real change, you need a vision that is neatly and clearly defined for all to see. 

Leaders need to create a vision statement – something that encapsulates the changes and outcomes needed to achieve greatness. When you have a strong statement that people can get behind, you fuel better employee engagement and valuable incentives for change. 

If you want people to change their behaviors, they need to know what that change will really look like. As you work on your vision statement, make sure you are addressing: 

• Your long-term business goals
• Your company’s place in the world
• The industry challenges you will face 
• Where you are going and how you will get there 

For most leaders, the ability to cast a compelling vision is what makes a business truly successful. If it isn’t already, ensure your vision is clearly conveyed and recorded in an official statement. 

(2) Collect Input and Share Ideas

The company vision should not be just shared with the leadership team. For vision casting to work, the vision statement needs to be shared throughout the employee pool. How else can leaders expect the company culture and drive to reflect their true vision? 

From sales associates to marketing officers, managers to interns, each company member has a role to play in your vision. As a leader, it’s up to you to get your employees engaged and invested in this vision (and the behavioral changes it requires).

However, it’s not just about sharing your vision – it’s about feedback, too. It’s in your best interest to learn what employees are thinking via group meetings, one-on-one discussions, surveys, and brainstorming sessions. 

According to the 2021 Global Culture Survey, nearly 70% of employees and leaders say that culture is more important to business success than strategy operations. By heavily involving all employees in the vision casting process, leaders have the opportunity to build a more engaging, positive, and inclusive company culture. 

To be effective, a vision cannot just be shared in specific meetings. It should also be present in daily conversations, weekly overviews, training materials, and much more. 

(3) Embrace the Never-Ending Process 

Vision casting isn’t some spell you cast once and hope for the best. Although it’s great to define and share your vision, it also needs room to evolve and grow with your business. Your company is always changing, and that means your vision likely is, too. 

The truth is that your vision is only useful if your people are continuously moving toward it – and that can’t happen if it becomes obsolete or irrelevant as your company evolves. 

That’s why vision casting also involves intentional reflection. As a leader, you can set the tone of your business’s growth and possibilities by scheduling times of reflection and thought for the future. 

Enlist the help of your employees to reevaluate your values and guide any changes you decide to make. This is a never-ending process, and embracing the continuity of vision casting is an excellent way to build a culture rooted in organizational learning and development. 

We’ll Help You Drive Change in Your Company

The word “casting” implies both a sender and a receiver. When casting your vision, you’re sending your message to your employees – but you’re also asking them to contribute to and buy into this vision so that their behavior will actually change. 

At Code of Talent, we assist with the entire vision casting process by helping leaders measure the success of training and learning – and the impact on their organizations. Our award-winning platform allows employees to learn on their own schedules, reducing productivity while boosting their engagement and understanding. 

Contact us today to learn more or schedule a tour of our microlearning platform. We’ll demonstrate exactly how our product can help you enact real, lasting behavioral change that aligns with your company’s vision.