The 5 dimensions of vision

The 5 Dimensions of Vision

Douglas R. Bouey

Catalyst Strategic Consultants Ltd.

In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy committed America to putting a man on the moon and safely returning him to earth “before the decade is out”. On July 20, 1969, an electrified world watched as Neil Armstrong became that man.

J.F.K. initiated the most profound visionary effort of the 20th Century. How was such energy unleashed? And how can it galvanize your company to goals you harbour deep within?

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Recounting and recapturing one of the most exciting times to be alive, the 5 Dimensions of Vision helps senior company members understand that their company has within it seeds of greatness. While Apollo 11 was an intense event, those watching were spectators. The life of a company is involvement! We’re living a story that we want to be proud to relate to our grandchildren. Helping members identify and act on those core themes now is the essence of this session.

5 Dimensions: Pointing the Way

The map of Vision is the map of the voyage to the moon. All 5 elements of any visionary activity are laid out clearly so all can see. Doug Bouey’s experience in guiding quests for vision has shown all must be there to create the dynamic visionary company. The President is not the only one to profit from such knowledge: having the big picture in full force allows employees, stakeholders, suppliers and allies to buy in – so the CEO does not have to be the one carrying the burden of the entire program.

Dimension One: What For?

When Kennedy put this challenge to America, he tapped into a potent engine, the basic strengths of America: the will to compete and hatred of being beaten, a “can do” spirit, the strength of its technology. All these were important, but what was the Apollo victory really for? The What For is the energy source: not easy to define but immensely powerful when named and celebrated – it’s what makes the work worth doing.

Dimension Two: The Compact

The Right Stuff: that’s what Tom Wolfe called it. The deal among those who come on board – you lived up to it. The belief in the power of technology to overcome any adversity, the bravery of the astronauts, the dedication of those who developed even small elements of the program. Those were Apollo’s: what are yours? The surprising story of how to know the compact that governs your company – because you have one - and of what works and doesn’t as a common understanding between participants in any major undertaking.


Dimension Three: Our Venture

Can you and your senior people say your company in 4 brief statements? You are constantly called on to summarize your company, its goals, its customers and what they expect, its employees and what they find best about the place they work, and its place within its community. It is critical to be able to put others in the picture of what your company is all about in a few impactful words. You only have one chance to make a first impression. NASA was able to be very clear, and you should be too!

Dimension Four: The Program

Getting from here to there: can there be anything more vital? The plan: to move from launch to an intermediate staging in orbit, to venture out from there to lunar orbit, to drop down, land and then reverse. The Program lets everyone involved see what their contribution to the accomplishment will be. How those fit within the time frame allows people to understand what they can and must do to help, and – increasingly - employees, bankers, backers need to know.

Dimension Five: The Goal

Some think the goal is all there is to Vision. It certainly is a huge component. Look at what seizing on such a magnetic outcome did for the U. S. A.! Clarity of outcome, a succinct time horizon – the result was to unleash dynamic commitment that proved unstoppable. What is the desired outcome of the TEC member’s business venture. Can it be framed in such a way as to engage the hearts and minds of those who are part of the business? Will it be grandiose or selfish? Avoiding the traps and freeing corporate energy is what this presentation is all about.

Liftoff!

When the story is ready to be played out, it’s time for the smoke and thunder – to surprising effect! The thrill of reaching high, of laying bare the core of the company, must now be transmitted to those who show up for work every day, to those who buy from the company and support the company. This must be accomplished by the CEO without the benefit of stunning shots of rockets tearing into the sky. Nevertheless, by delineating meaning for what and who the company is, that same power can be delivered.


Along the Way . . .

There were many, many spinoffs from the shot to the moon. The echoes and benefits are still felt these 30 years later. There are many such benefits to being clear about business direction. Knowing the type of corporation you are – and what you are not. Seeing why much of what passes for vision doesn’t cut it with people and what does. The overriding path of Presidential development and how it follows the vision track.

So . . .

Your company can go to the moon, too, and return safely – wiser and equipped for a new journey. Find out what compels us all toward the best we can realize in ourselves and our businesses and let’s put it on the pad.

Vision clients:

Gienow Building Products – from a $20m Calgary manufacturer to a nationally respected public income trust

Quantel/ Veco – from a small project facilities engineering company [$20m] to a major force on the Western Canadian EPC scene [topped out at $600m]

S I Systems – from a tiny software project firm to a national staffing company about to go public


Your Presenter

Doug Bouey, Canada’s senior TEC Chair, will bring the fruit of remarkable experience to you. Doug's seasoned and varied background includes consulting directly on bringing Vision to full effect in many corporate settings:

Calgary's business communities have produced some remarkable variations on Vision. Being clear on this core of corporate life is especially vital when advanced forms of business association such as partnering and alliance, and customer service. The vibrant Alberta "can do" approach means that these themes get tested in the fire and must prove their effectiveness quickly. The philosophy carries far beyond textbook scope. My indepth experience with some of the most far reaching examples in the Calgary environment gives me a sense of the possibility and the future of organization development that is otherwise simply unavailable. My background with TEC, in helping pilot a number of corporate and executive accelerations has led to a very rich base of experience I can readily draw on.

Doug's experience includes numerous team development experiences, some with clients over a long and satisfying process of overall corporate development. Doug's work with CEO's as a senior chairman with The Executive Committee means he has helped guide the development of up to 50 Calgary companies at a time over the course of 20 years. This has given a rich background of coaching and mentoring experience that, again, cannot be duplicated. In the past, he was Lawyer in Residence at the Faculty of Law, University of Calgary and continues to teach Interviewing, Negotiating and Counselling to second year Law students there. His legal practice, which has now been supplanted by exemplary success in consulting, included a long history of Native Law, in which he is proud of substantial and long lasting accomplishment that is rare in that arena. Persistence, dedication and sound grounding in planning and group process led to extraordinary results that still stand today.

The transition to consulting was to serve basic aptitude and passion. Studies to earn an M.A. in Organization Development from the Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara provided the enabling vehicle.



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The 5 dimensions of vision