Executing Your Vision

Having a vision is what gives humans the ability to invent. Most of our lives are designed by some person’s vision that became a reality. As technology progresses, visions are being executed readily. Advancements in all spheres of life are happening. One of the responsibilities of a product manager includes the ability to turn a vision into reality. A vision that strikes a person is the beginning of a long process of making the vision come true. Sometimes a vision needs to be broken down into smaller steps to make it more achievable. Reaching the outcome is easier when each step has been worked through.

Here are the four steps to turn a vision into reality –

  • Begin with the end –
    A vision often presents a result, for instance, a system running and a user using the product or service. From this image, jot down as many details as you can extract. Design a flow of everything that is going on in that image inside your head. It should include a description of what, why, who, and how. When the vision in your head has been converted into something tangible, you can share it easily with other people. You can also read and refine it further. After you’ve made changes based on your outlook and other people’s feedback, you can focus on smaller issues instead of chasing a vague picture.
  • Refine it –
    After the initial flow has been established, you should detect holes in your vision and understand the more complex parts. There are a few paths to choose from at this point. The outcome of all such paths is to derive something visual from the words you’ve written down. This will help you get a clear high-level understanding from the first step to the final step of the visualization. The reason to do this exercise is to make the idea easier to identify, grasp and solve gaps as you see it. Visuals, mind maps, and flows are some tools that can help you convert words into an image. The outcome is a release plan. This will include the long-term story, how you want it to be executed and what you are NOT going to build.
  • Present and learn –
    After you’ve visually established your vision, you need to present the same to all the stakeholders. You can show your vision to everyone at the same time, or split them into groups to focus more on one particular aspect of the vision depending on the group. The RnD and the Product Team must have a session together. Then there are sales, CS, and leadership groups to whom you can present your vision to. Inside the presentation, take the audience through a visual flow of your idea. Set reasonable expectations and stress on the point that it is the happy flow and things might be different on the field. Once the high-level explanation is done, you can either open a discussion or present the work plan.
  • Fix and create a plan –
    As you have shared the idea with the stakeholders, the next and final step is to create a plan. Take feedback and action items into account and finalize the flows. You can do this in 3 steps. One, create a detailed mapping based on the agreed flows. Two, finalize the UX and create a detailed UI. Three, collect feedback from users and align your UX accordingly. Once these steps are completed, you can go ahead with a final review and begin development.

What are some gaps that prevent successful project execution?

  • Lack of common understanding of the vision.
  • Low engagement from executive sponsors.
  • Misalignment of the vision with strategic goals.
  • Poor change management.
  • Lack of effective corporate governance.
  • Poor leadership standards.

What are some tips and tricks to execute a vision?

  • Gain buy-in from the core team – To effectively communicate your ideas to various stakeholders, have a well-defined project. This will set the stage for your product team.
  • Take your project to the finish line – Project leaders are an asset to convert your vision into a final product. Right leadership with the required skill set will make it possible for you to do so.
  • Build a high-performing team – A highly qualified team can define the right alignment and strategy for your project. This will help you close gaps while delivering key goals.
  • Monitor progress and performance – The goal of any meeting must be to manage people, follow processes, and communicate information to key stakeholders. Meetings can firm up arguments, identify issues, document actionable items and hold members accountable for results.
  • Be open and flexible – Project leaders must possess traits of adaptability, flexibility, and nimbleness. The project execution phase reveals unanticipated problems, so you must be prepared to make tactical changes whenever necessary.

Thus, executing a vision is a goal best achieved when broken down into smaller achievable steps. The first step to any project creation is to manifest the vision in some tangible form. Once the vision is shared, it can be made better with the help of refinement and feedback from other people. A flow will be created and your team will have a direction to work on. Visions are often based on a happy flow, but in reality, there will be a lot of challenges in the way of achieving it. Celebrating incremental advantages, and having the flexibility to embrace changes on the way is the best approach towards turning any vision into the project of your dreams.