Horizon gazing is a key part of the leadership team’s job in business. Future planning and looking beyond the everyday is essential to making progress. And yet the challenge is for those who are not part of the horizon gazing gang. The team members who are working in the business every day, those people for whom the horizon seems to remain the same.
Great leadership is great communication. And so, it’s not enough to simply know where you want to go and how you’re going to get there – you must make sure every single person on your team knows too – and that they are fully committed to being part of the plan.
This is a tiny thought on how important it is to be clear about the horizon you’re working towards. And to never assume that other people who have not been involved in the bigger picture planning will see it as you do.
- Be clear about the horizon you are working towards and the steps you’ll be taking to get there
- Communicate milestones – what steps are we going to take to achieve X, this is what we expect to happen, this is when we expect it to happen by
- Celebrate when you reach those key milestones
- Encourage your teams to contribute to the shape of your horizon – what might they see that we don’t?
With great, consistent communication your teams will start to have clarity around the decisions being made each day and how it links to the future. Changing how the horizon looks for everyone makes for engaged teams – reassuring them that the business is moving forward purposefully and not drifting aimlessly.
Andy