We are not talking about the super-unique visionary with big picture agenda and a playbook to match. These types are out there but are few and far between. So most companies are "stuck" with an "ordinary" leaders. These are folks who need some help getting their big picture into practice.
More often by accident rather than design, the visionary leaders of the successful companies I have been associated with, have what I call detail translators. These people are a gifted lot, who have the uncanny ability to only catch the vision, but also see the steps to reach the vision. While the visionary may see the mile-markers in route to the fulfillment of the vision, the "detailers" see most of the individual steps between the mile markers.
The president of a company I know has a saying, "The devil is in the details. So, sweat the details." His company had a great deal of success given their small size. The reason? Great vision coupled with a focus on details. The real work of vision implementation comes in mapping out the details. Detail translators exorcise most of the demons of the details in the conference room before the vision is implemented.
Another company I worked with wanted to implement a new safety protocol within the organization. The vision was not only a good one but a necessary addition. The vision was given to the departmental managers with appropriate mile stones for implementation. The "go live" date had been given with percentage of compliance assigned. In this case, 70% in the first ninety days. (I have often wondered how one assigns a percentage of compliance less than 100 in a safety related matter.)
To make a long story short, more than a year later compliance was 80% with significant increase in frustration throughout the organization. All it would have taken was a few more hours of "detail translation" or "demon exorcising" in the conference room (rather than the daily work space) to reach higher compliance levels in a shorter time frame.
My advice to our visionary leaders; find, your detail translators. They are important to your vision. Cherish them, They are a valuable part of your organization. Release them upon your vision. Let them work their magic on the demons in your vision. Send time with them making sure they see what you see. They will then be better able to bring your vision to a successful reality, sooner.
