Can't Do Another Visioning Process?

Vision fatigue? Many groups involved in change processes over time claim they just can't do another visioning process. They have done it so many times. What is a creative way to engage this kind of group?

Instead of trying to design their process, why not design an inquiry process where they do the fundamentals of design?

You might start with attention grabbing questions (group or individual):

• If I were going to send you an email inviting you to a visioning process, what would it have to include for you to enthusiastically say "Yes!"


• If you were going to participate in a vision process that really energised you, what would be some of the features of this process?


• If you were going to participate in a visioning process that created a profound vision, who would be doing something differently at the end? What would these people be doing differently at the end? What would you be doing differently at the end?


• If you were going to say that the visioning process created lasting change, what would be some of the necessary conditions to make this vision stick?


• If we were going to give this process an innovative name, what might we call it?

This inquiry process doesn't focus people in on their past, potentially less-than-satisfactory visioning exercises. It focuses them on the positive future and involves them in creating it and answering questions about what it will take to make it work (differently) this time. The energy that these kinds of questions creates is very different than that from a problem-focused approach, and just may get people to the table with a different attitude and intent, and that might make all the difference.