![Visioning
Narratives define experience
We are all stories:
“We inhabit a nomos - a normative universe. We
constantly create and maintain a world of right and
wrong, of lawful and unlawful, of valid and void...[And
yet] No set of legal institutions or prescriptions exists
apart from the narratives that locate it and give it
meaning. For every constitution there is an epic, for each
Decalogue a scripture.”
– Robert Cover, Nomos and Narrative](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/1introductionofvisioningtofellowsv6-110330092811-phpapp01/85/1-introduction-of-visioning-to-fellows-v6-7-320.jpg)
1 introduction of visioning to fellows v6
- 1. Visioning Pre-Exercise: Think for a Moment •What organization or cause do you deeply care about? •Why should this organization exist? •Who else cares about this organization, and why?
- 2. Visioning Inspiration: Visioning Developing a Practical Vision to Found Your Venture
- 3. Visioning A good vision leads to execution •Meet Theodore Herzl. Journalist, Author, Organizer. •Not the first person to suggest a Jewish State. Not the first one to write a book about it. Was the first one to bring everyone together. To Act. Vision is ever more important today.
- 4. Visioning Problem is, it’s noisy out there
- 5. Visioning Just how noisy? Meet Jonnie •Jonnie wakes up in the morning and reviews RSS on a iPhone •On the way to school, Jonnie twitters breakfast plans which automatically crosspost on Facebook •During class, Jonnie opens a Google Doc to collaborate on notes •Afterschool, Jonnie goes to a MeetUp at a friend‟s house •In the evening, Jonnie meets the parents and downloads their favorite show, liveblogging the experience
- 6. Visioning What’s changed since Herzl’s time? •No top hats. •Change in speed has led to a change in quality of life, and the very meaning of words such as „community‟ and „friend‟ •Ubiquity of media leads to hypercompetition for the individual‟s most precious resource: time •To compete in the Attention Economy, everything must make its case for personal relevance So how does this affect organizations?
- 7. Visioning Narratives define experience We are all stories: “We inhabit a nomos - a normative universe. We constantly create and maintain a world of right and wrong, of lawful and unlawful, of valid and void...[And yet] No set of legal institutions or prescriptions exists apart from the narratives that locate it and give it meaning. For every constitution there is an epic, for each Decalogue a scripture.” – Robert Cover, Nomos and Narrative
- 8. Visioning The Digital Age’s Effect on Narrative •The inherent property of a story is that it is told •The Digital Age creates multiple channels of possible experience •In the digital age, maintaining a coherent, authentic narrative is crucial for over all success.
- 9. Visioning Walzer Teaches Us to Tell Our Story Wherever you are, it’s probably Egypt. There is a better place, a Promised Land. The only way to this Promised Land is through the wilderness—there is no way to get there except by joining together and marching. - Michael Walzer, Exodus and Revolution
- 10. Visioning What’s Your Egypt? •“Egypt “isn‟t all bad – it‟s simply imperfect • Even Moses had to convince the Jews in Egypt it was in their interest to leave •Without first convincing people about the imperfections of the present, they won‟t march to the future.
- 11. Visioning What is your Promised Land? •The Promised Land is the opposite of Egypt •Everyone needs a share in this Promised Land •Even Moses was rebelled against when the risk seemed to outweigh the reward. •Promised Land needs to be concrete enough to compel, and vague enough for personal ownership
- 12. Visioning Why Should We March? •People march (or participate in your venture) according to the value you‟re proposing to give them (value proposition) •You need to know your people, inside and out, before you know what they value •Marching is hard; the value need be great; the promised land needs to be reachable.
- 13. Visioning Workshop: People and Promised Land •Break up into groups of three •Identify for each other your: •Egypt (Market Context) •Promised Land (Bottom Line) •Reasons for Marching (Value Proposition to Target Market) •Keep it clear; the simpler the better
- 14. Visioning Tool: History of the Future •Tell the story of your Promised Land, visually and symbolically, 5 years ahead •Center it around your People and the key Value Proposition •Then tell the story of how you got there; the history of the future
- 15. Visioning Workshop: History of the Future •Break up into groups of three •Take one project whose Egypt, Promised Land and People you know •Do a history of the future of that project, five years into the future •Make sure to map out not only what the venture is doing, but other actors in the field and how they interact with it •Keep it clear; the simpler the better
- 16. Visioning Key Questions, Broken Down 1. What is wrong about the current world? What about the world today needs to be fixed – and why have people been placated until now? 2. If your venture could boil down its reason for existence into one desired future state, what would it be? What future state will justify the long, hard process of developing your venture? 3. Who will march? What are the target market specifics ? 4. Why will your people march? What value are you proposing to provide your people, so that they may give up the fleshpots and march through the harsh wilderness towards the Promised Land?
- 17. Visioning The Deliverable Using any variety of media—written, video, sound or graphics—please compose a short explanation of your venture’s quest, expressing why your Egypt is as troubling as it is, and getting to your Promised Land is so important that you need to push along. Make sure to clearly identify your target participant—because you can only take one People at a time to the Promised Land. The deliverable should be less than one written page, or 3 minutes video/audio.
- 18. Visioning Last Thought: You Must Dream It. •Before you can will it, you have to dream it. •A practical Vision is a Dream with a Workplan. •A business plan is a well told story •It might take five years, it might take fifty – but a solid vision will change the world. Start-Ups are driven by dreams.