Vision

	Vision without work is fantasy.
	Planning without vision is chaos.
	Work without planning and vision is wasteful.
	Requirements are necessary to provide Value. Leadership provides vision. Architects provide planning. Management uses the Vision and Planning to provide the work. Customers provide the Requirements.

Consistency

Given the same circumstances, using the same tools, processes, and resources, barring a miracle or disaster, we can expect the same results. All of this is based upon the abstract concept of cause and effect relationships.

Universal Principles

Those with vision understand the concept of universal principles. Everything works the same way, each time, every time, under the same circumstances. This is the basis of Steven Covey’s "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

If you trust me and I betray you, how do you feel? The answer to this is consistent between any two people, in any society, during any time in history, for people of any age. The concept of universal principles is the basis for project management, reliable methods, and best practices.

Requirements

It should be clear that to be successful, all three--vision, planning, and work—must be employed, but there must be more than these, because obstacles arise even with the best laid plans.

To be successful, it is necessary to be persistent, resourceful, and observant.

Major risks need to be assessed for mitigation. Cost versus benefits must be weighed. One of the most necessary elements to success is a strong sense of time.

Architecting

Architects design the implementation strategies and processes according to the vision and determine the tools, materials, and resources needed to implement the vision.

Knowing when a resource will be needed drives the planning.

Architects need a strong sense of time to know when to acquire a resource for the work to be done successfully. Having a strong sense of time includes the ability to visualize the flow of work, what resources need to come together with the flow, keeping in mind the end vision.

It does not take a genius to visualize the progression of flow from the origination to completion of structuring a vision into a destination goal or state of being.

Caution should be employed so that process for the sake of process is not pursued, for if it is, the only result will be successful process, not the successful achievement of the goal.

Visionaries

It has been said that visionaries need to watch where they step. Visionaries are often a triumph of image over substance.

While visionaries who picture the future must have the telescopic point of view, they need the architects with whom they can share the picture, and it is the architects who populate the vision with reality with more detail work employing the microscopic point of view.

Those implementing the architecture may need either the immediate point of view or the microscopic point of view to accomplish the work.

It is rare for one person to have the ability to move freely between these points of view for each of us has one particular "life point of view."

It is the processes and the point of view which establishes the patterns we employ as habits that define what we do.

To be successful, we must employ successful, consistent habits which are in concert with who we are and what we want to achieve.

It is upon this basis that roles are defined for people to fit into so they can perform the processes that provide the services.

Visionaries need to communicate effectively for two reasons:

1. If people do not understand the vision, they cannot implement it;

2. Visionaries often do not understand the realities of technology and must be willing to comprehend realities when their vision is unrealistic.

Visionaries usually make lousy technicians:  They must trust their architects to have the expertise to advise them when the vision needs adjustments for practical reasons.

Effectiveness

We can determine the effectiveness of the model of vision, planning, and work [the think, plan, do of the quality process] by the results.

If we see waste, it is the result of a lack of planning and / or vision.

If we see chaos, it is the result of a lack of planning. If there are no results, it is a lack of vision.

If we see all three, it is because the wrong people are using the wrong processes, doing the wrong things to accomplish the wrong vision.

If we see the impractical being implemented, it is because the visionaries and architects did not listen and accept the requirements.

Evidence

The strongest evidence of this kind of environment is the "fire fighting" mode where people are so busy trying to mitigate problems and disasters they never can find the time to plan. Because they don’t plan, they can never get out of the fire fighting mode.

When you hear, "I can’t deal with this right now, we have to solve this," you can pretty well determine that you are in deep trouble. Those with a totally immediate view, feel that they are being practical when they tell you they don’t want to hear about theories and visions.

Another strong piece of evidence that there is a lack is the scramble for scarce resources. "Things" happen, people have needs, processes are violated because of constant immediate needs. There is never time to do things right, only time to do them over.

Solutions Without a Problem

Finally, when people seek SWAPs—that is, Solutions Without A Problem—there is a need for stringent measures to be employed. SWAPs may not always be evident, but it is important to look for solutions which are provided and then the problems are aligned to prove that the solution chosen is appropriate.

Requirements for solutions provide Value.

Vision, planning, and work without requirements are worthless.

People who proceed with an undertaking who do not gather the requirements are self-serving.

Qualifications

The qualifications for the roles should be very clear.

Confidence should be placed on those who have the talent, education, and experience who have also successfully performed the roles required of them.

There are those who are VERY effective in their respective roles and they have a talent for what they are doing.

The right people in the right roles doing the right things makes for the "superstars" we see in effective organizations.

These are the people who should have the respect, honor, and consideration in an interdependent high performance environment.

They are also those who consider the requirements of those they serve.

Conclusion

Vision is the essential part of Strategy.

Planning is the essential part of the Tactics.

To produce anything of lasting value, Vision, Planning, and Work must be in balance, laid on a solid foundation of requirements.