To be honest, I had reservations when I decided to write this blog—I don’t want you to get the impression that I’m part of the angry fan club cheering and wishing for President Obama’s endeavor—that everyone have access to healthcare—fails. I am not, and never have been, opposed to the President’s vision. But, the how is a much larger conversation—one I’d like to start with you today.
I think Obama’s vision for affordable, sustainable healthcare is fantastic and I think folks with pre-existing conditions should have access to healthcare. This vision is one of his primary mantras that got him elected. He absolutely managed to create a movement with his vision for healthcare.
Come on, whether you are right, left, or in the middle, this pulls on your heartstrings—we all want our fellow citizens to have access to quality and affordable care! So kudos, to the vision.
So far, President Obama has managed to address the what and the why, which is important to ensure the message resonates and I’ll admit, at times it has proven difficult to do so. But, the more important question is: are we clear on the how and the impact that it has on all constituents—taxpayers, providers, brokers… the list goes on.
This bill continues to be extremely complicated and all of the various constituents still do not really know how this impacts them. Obama’s vision is fantastic, but is without a doubt much more confusing and complicated to execute than he probably anticipated.
Most people understand the vision, but I don’t think anyone truly understands the impact that it will have on them in the short, mid, or long term. But it does appear that the unintended consequences are that this his initiative will be subsidized by an additional corporate expense, or another government subsidy.
At eQ, we develop strategies for helping clients communicate their vision and goals. By clearly defining the why, the what, and the how, of the vision and goals our client’s teams understand the impact the vision and goals have on the company. One way to do this is to consider the following questions when devising a new vision or initiative:
THE SEVEN Cs
CLARITY – Are you providing the details about where you are going as a company and the specific things needed to get there? Why are they doing it? How do their efforts contribute to the intended outcomes?
CERTAINTY – Do you provide reassurance to your team that their leaders have a plan for the outcome?
COMPASSION – Do your constituents feel heard and valued?
CONSISTENCY – Are you consistent in your message, communication method, and action?
COMMITMENT – Do people feel that you are the most committed in the room?
COLLABORATION - Do you eradicate the old “us-versus-them” mentality? Do your people feel connected? Who gets the credit?
COMMUNITY – Is your company operating from a place of higher purpose, and making the world a better place?
By addressing the questions above, and leading in this way, you are more likely to hit the growth goals that you desire. Perhaps our fearless leaders from both sides should stop and ask themselves these same questions.
The vision is solid, but how we get there is complicated, especially when there are hidden agendas, people aren’t heard, and can’t easily understand the outcomes. Visions are intended to clarify and serve as a guideline. When effective, a vision can create urgency and alignment, BUT there’s more to a vision that just clever marketing message…
Frank Belen is a Senior Business Consultant for entreQuest. He helps to develop and grow business and C-level leadership and assists small to medium sized businesses Grow Regardless.
