Visionary Ideation vs. Giving Direction

Visionaries are a powerful force for their companies. They bring unmatched energy to a business, especially when their interests align with the company's priorities. When it works well, visionaries bring a ton of ideas. They're creative problem solvers who come up with all kinds of different alternatives and possibilities. Brainstorming is truly play for a visionary. But when it comes to narrowing down the list of possibilities or working on the execution details, the visionary should let the integrator drive. That's their sweet spot. And once a process starts, visionaries should stay out of the details. Too many times visionaries try to engage in processes where they don't have a role and only cause confusion and slow things down. When visionaries swoop into a process they've not been close to, they're like the helicopters from old movies. Everyone's ducking their hands, stuff is flying everywhere from the wind, and things are chaotic. To avoid that scene, everyone, especially the visionary and integrator, must get crystal clear on that line. It's important to communicate to the team that they are not to seek direction from the visionary. That said, they should seek input when there's a situation where the visionary's unique creative abilities can add big value. The visionary can also sporadically offer some ideas for improvements during a project within very specific guidelines for their input. This way, the team is using the visionary's unique abilities for the greater good of the organization. To recap one the visionary and integrator must be crystal clear on the line between ideation and execution two Visionaries must not swoop in and create chaos just to feel involved and three Team members should feel free to request input from the visionary using very specific guidelines to avoid visionaries making decisions, giving direction, or otherwise creating chaos in the organization. Visionaries and Integrators how strong is your relationship with your counterpart? Find out by taking the Rocket Fuel Power Index. You can find the free assessment on rocketfueluniversity.com.