Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

Rick Lepsinger, president of OnPoint Consulting recently conducted a survey of over 400 executives and found that almost 50% of the respondents felt there was a big gap between vision and implementing that vision. Here's how he puts it:

"We discovered that almost half of the leaders surveyed—49 percent—do perceive a gap between their organizations' ability to develop and communicate sound strategies and their ability to implement those strategies, that didn't surprise us, as our work with clients prepared us for that result. However, we were shocked, and a bit dismayed, to find that of these respondents 64 percent don't have full confidence that their companies will be able to close the gap."

The conclusions of the survey showed that it wasn't the lack of an inspiring vision or the vision being communicated clearly, rather, it was not comprehending and having in place the required operations it would take to get the job done.

In other words, the majority of companies and executives get the power of a compelling vision and the need to communicate it effectively and clearly; what they don't have are plans or systems in place to ensure that the practical steps to achieve the vision are operating all across the company.

Another way to say this is that they have nothing in place to measure whether it's getting done or not.

Lepsinger adds: "If a company wants to encourage innovation in its employees, shouldn't it have a mechanism to screen and fund these ideas? Individuals shouldn't have to struggle to find support and resources to help develop their ideas. People are always citing the efforts of Art Fry and Spencer Silver, the 3M employees who invented Post-Its, as a shining success story of personal initiative and perseverance. My thinking is, 'Why did those guys have to work so hard? Wouldn't it have been better for everyone if a support system had been in place?'"

If you've found something similar in your business or company, it would help once everyone understands the vision and has the vision communicated to them, to then look and make sure that support systems are in place to empower the employees to accomplish their tasks.

This is one of those areas that managers have struggled with for years. This helps to give some light into the reason why many companies fall short in practically applying their vision.

Have you found yourself in situations like these, where you're scratching your head and not knowing what it is that's causing the poor execution?