<p>Change is happening way too fast to predict and plan for an uncertain and unknown future. <strong>Building a quickly responsive and highly adaptive team and organizational culture is more critical than ever.</strong> The core of a built-to-change culture is <strong>an energized vision, values, and purpose/mission</strong> (it’s the hub of our “Leadership Wheel”) <strong>brimming with life and vitality.</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://www.jimclemmer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/vision-195.jpg" alt="Energizing Vision - Jim Clemmer, Practical Leader" width="195" height="139" hspace="10" vspace="10" align="right" />Strong leaders anchor their high-performance culture with a wide variety of approaches. <strong>Here are 17 examples of what you can do to co-create your future:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Develop <strong>common messages that everyone on your management team uses </strong>in their presentations and informal discussions on where you’re going, what you believe in, and why you exist.</li>
<li>Develop/review your vision, values, and purpose through <strong>a series of cascading meetings </strong>throughout your organization.</li>
<li>Get <strong>local teams to develop their own vision, values, and purpose</strong> linked to that of your organization.</li>
<li>Have team members <strong>constantly give each other feedback,</strong> discuss ways we can live our values, and may inadvertently violate them.</li>
<li>Use <strong>formal (e.g. 360º feedback programs, organizational surveys) and informal feedback</strong> processes and practices to nurture values-centered leadership up, down, and across the organization.</li>
<li><strong>Make “values fit” a final screen in your hiring process</strong>. Get lots of input on this from the team members the new candidate will be working with.</li>
<li>Ensure <strong>everyone who is promoted is a good role model for your vision, values, and purpose</strong> — especially if they will be leading others. Make these linkages explicit in all communications/announcements.</li>
<li>Examine the common words used to <strong>describe customers, organizational members, and other partners (like suppliers)</strong>. Are “head count,” “vendors,” “consumers,” and other such cold, impersonal, and dehumanizing phrases often used?</li>
<li><strong>Ask customers, partners, and organizational members</strong> what they think your organization or team cares about most.</li>
<li><strong>What gets people fired?</strong> What does that say about your values?</li>
<li>Make sure vision, values, and purpose are <strong>deeply embedded in and drive all your training and development</strong>.</li>
<li>Begin/end meetings with <strong>reflections on living your vision, values, and purpose</strong>.</li>
<li>Weave <strong>references to your vision, values, and purpose</strong> in all presentations, discussions, feedback, coaching, recognition, etc.</li>
<li>Have a contest to <strong>develop the snappiest slogan or purpose statement</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Tell stories and publicize good examples </strong>of your vision, values, and purpose in action.</li>
<li><strong>Look at your calendar and meeting agendas</strong> to see if there are big gaps between you and your team’s espoused values and lived values.</li>
<li>Continuously work to <strong>align the organizational/team and the personal vision, values, and purpose of everyone</strong> in your organization.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>How alive is the core of your culture? How do you know? </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Further Reading</em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.jimclemmer.com/bringing-values-to-life.php">Bringing Values to Life</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jimclemmer.com/organizational-visioning-pathways-and-pitfalls.php">Organizational Visioning Pathways and Pitfalls</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jimclemmer.com/pathways-and-pitfalls-to-clarifying-organizational-values.php">Pathways and Pitfalls to Clarifying Organizational Values</a></li>
</ul>
