Visioning Sets the Way, Research Paper Example

As a leader, one of the five leadership practices is to inspire a shared vision, in which the leader must have a personal belief in those dreams, and the leader must show in their abilities confidence in order to make changes happen. “Studies indicate that it is the presence of this personal vision on the part of a leader, shared with members of the organization, that may differentiate true leaders from mere managers” (Manasse, 1986). A shared vision is a fundamental factor in change and leading organization. Having a vision helps leaders and their organization to become committed and inspired to a shared goal. Within the health care industry, while the focus is to provide quality care to patients, health organizations are an intricate part of the business and requires superb leadership. This leadership position requires more than just being in charge of doctors and nurses, as well as other health personnel, but developing a reciprocal relationship that cannot be forged from the use of power and authority.

The steps to inspire a shared vision provides meaning and orientation for the teams and the entire organization. It not only helps them to focuses the team’s energy and engages in the transformation of practice. It is detrimental for the leader to closely monitor the level of energy of the organization and the team, in order to maintain a balance between transformation/innovation, and recovery/relaxation. “All leaders can create a compelling vision, one that takes people to a new place and the ability to translate that vision into reality” (Bennis, 1990). The purpose of this assignment is in acting as the role of a leader in an organization, specifically in a major city hospital, to inspire a shared vision that improves the quality of care, and the efficiently of resources. In order to successfully complete this leadership practice, steps must be developed and implemented within the organization. This assignment will discuss the steps needed and taken, as well as the purpose of inspiring a shared vision as a part of leadership practice.

For leaders to implement a shared vision, the vision must provide meaning and orientation for the teams and the leaders. It must be a strong driving force for systematic and ongoing practice development. According to Claire Baldwin, “change is inevitable, there’s no dispute that the best way for a community to face it is to manage it through envisioning the future and preparing for it.” (Baldwin, 2008) Within an organization, the process of visioning helps the organization to identify the future it wants by defining its goals and core values as the strategies needed to achieve that in the future. In taking the role of a leader, the goal is to set out to change and guide the team members in a new direction that will help them. In being a leader of a major organization, that is charge of providing care to people. It is detrimental as a leader to maintain a balance between the changes within the organization, as at the beginning stages the enthusiasm will wane, which could overload the already overburdened professionals. Care should be taken to guarantee that the corresponding core values and vision are achievable and realistic. The vision otherwise might remain an illusion that is unattainable, the team members that are in charge of turning the shared vision into a reality, would be demotivated and frustrated.

According to research, “effective leadership is an essential attribute for the provision of professional and high-quality healthcare, which refers to care that is person centered, evidence based and outcome oriented.” (Martin, McCormack, Fitzsimons, and Spirig 2014) The steps to inspire a shared vision includes, being a leader that is forward looking, which envisions an exciting possibility that will influence others in the shared perspective of the future of the organization. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner believe in “model  the way” a practice to provide, “the most fundamental way in which leaders earn—and sustain—credibility; they do what they say they will do.” (Kouzes, Posner 2008) This factor is significant in gaining the trust of the members of the organization, as well as being able to clarify the values of the leader. In using the steps taken from Kouzes and Posner, the first step is to “envision the future by imagining and believing in an exciting, highly attractive future for the organization.” (Kouzes, Posner 2008)  The “Model the Way” is a model in which encircles the meaning into the every interaction and action of the team. As a leader, it is my responsibility to ensure that the interactions and actions of my behaviors are consisted with the values I want to embody. The heads of the organization must identify and specify changes that must be made to ensure that attention is paid to the rewards and the challenges of caring for people.

New possibilities and opportunities are provided each day, so the organization must see and accept the reality, to lead as a new start. This is a part of the decision-making process of a leader. “The fortune of every business relies upon the decision-making capacity of business leadership.” (Rehman, 2011) The second step is to lead with a purpose. A fundamental part of inspiring a shared vision is to clarify the vision. According to Koloroutis et al., “our purpose of existing as a health care team is to provide compassionate care and service to patients and families.” (Koloroutis, Felgen, Wright, Manthey, Person, Dingman, and Kinnaird 2004) Taking a leadership role, the purpose as well as the vision must be clarified in order to specify what the vision means for the roles of the members of the organization. The common role is for all to maintain a commitment to an unwavering focus on service and care. As Nanus (1992) points out that developing, the appropriate vision encompasses the characteristics of attracting commitment and energizing the members of the organization. It also includes creating meaning in the lives of the workers, establishing a standard of excellence, bridging the present to the future, and transcending the status quo. (Nanus 1992) This is important to inspiring a vision that not only motivates, but also translates into a doable reality.

The next step is to create awareness by asking the right question and encouraging team members to speak up on changes they would like. This also includes getting patients, as well as other hospital personnel into the decision-making process. Kouzes and Posner also believed in the step in which meant to enlist others in a common vision. This will be done by creating a dialog in which the interest of others is taken into consideration. “You must have intimate knowledge of people’s dreams, hopes, aspirations, visions, and values.” (Kouzes and Posner 2008) This helps in implementing the next step in which to build off the energy of the members in the organization to inspire by remaining positive. “With any major change, a small percentage of the people affected will enthusiastically engage and participate in that change; a small percentage of the people affected will want no part of the change and may actively resist it.” (Koloroutis 2004)

In doing this, I will inspire a shared vision. As a leader, one must listen, and in doing so, the team members will be able to speak openly about wanted changes that build on the vision, in which they will have a common direction and purpose. As a leader, it is important in the healthcare organization, as well as in any organization to take risks and encourage others to pursue them. In implementing the steps to inspiring a shared vision, one must clarify the vision, incorporate the opinions of others, and overall continue to encourage open dialog that will build upon this shared vision. The main focus of this organization provides quality care while also utilizing the available resources. While sharing the central vision to the team members of the organization and making strategic decision-making, the implementing of the steps will be effective in making the organization a success.

References

Baldwin, Claire. (2008). A 30,000-Foot View: Visioning Sets the Way. Public Management.

Bennis, W. (1990). Managing the dream: Leadership in the 21st century. Training: The Magazine of Human Resource Development, 27(5), 44-46.

Kouzes, James M., Posner, Barry Z. (2008). The Leadership Challenge. Fourth Edition. Audio-Tech Busienss Book Summaries. Retrieved from http://www.leaderpresence.com/resources/The%20Leadership%20Challenge.pdf

Koloroutis, Mary, Felgen, Jayne, Wright, Donna, Manthey, Marie, Person, Colleen, Dingman, Sharon, and Kinnaird, Leah. (2004). Relationship-Based Care: A Model for Transforming Practice. Creative Health Care Management. Minneapolis.

Martin, Jacueline, McCormack, Brendan, Fitzsimons, Donna, Spirig, Rebecca. (2014). The Importance of Inspiring a Shared Vision. International Practice Development Journal. Retrieved from http://www.fons.org/Resources/Documents/Journal/Vol4No2/IPDJ_0402_04.pdf

Manasse, A.L. (1986). Vision and leadership: Paying attention to intention. Peabody Journal of Education, 63(1), 150-173.

Nanus, B. (1992). Visionary leadership: Creating a compelling sense of direction for your organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Rehman, Rana Rashid. (2011). Role of Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship Among Leadership Styles, Decision Making Styles and Organizational Performance: A Review. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. Vol. 3, No.1. Retrieved from http://works.bepress.com/rashidrehman/2ijcrb.webs.com