Corrections_Today_July_August_2020_Vol.82_No.4

Communications & Publications

Figure 3

The last part of Hyatt’s book was perhaps the most valuable: the zag. Trying to figure out the vision zag is not easy, but the best description is vision always needs to be refreshed. Think about a famous soft drink. When you pop the top, it tastes great, but if you leave it out, in a very short period of time, it goes flat. Vision without the zag is like that soft drink. The effective leader continually looks to see when the vision needs refreshing. So is “The Vision Driven Leader,” a book which should be read by those involved in correctional leadership and administration. By now you probably ascertain my answer is yes. And the more complicated our mission and role is, the more it is needed. But the bottom line, it made me feel good about confronting the day-to-day, knowing there is good reason to be involved tenaciously in developing a road map for a worthwhile destination. u

Interplay of Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Values Name Defines Mission Who you are Vision Where you’re going Strategy How you’re going to get there Values The kind of people you are along the way

this interplay which makes vision not ethereal but practical (see Figure 3). Strategy is about the path you are going to take to get to your vision. A good strategic plan provides the road map of how to achieve the vision. Without a road map or, perhaps in this time, the strategic plan GPS, your trip to achieve your vision might be full of potholes and detours. Hyatt provides a vision- strategy differential, as seen in Figure 4. Of course, any vision and any strategy will meet with resistance. We all know that any change from the status quo illicit those naysayers. Or people who simply say, “we don’t have time to deal with a strategic planning.” “We don’t have time to think about anything but the here and now.” But any leader who understands the dynamics of organizational management knows there will be resistance. And good leaders plan for the resistance by tenacity,

integrity and courage. Hyatt says it this way, “Since resistance is predictable, we have to ready ourselves for its appearance. That means not only cultivating our tenacity but also holding on to our integrity and expressing courage.” I have met many who have the perseverance, maintains integrity and expresses courage. When an organization has someone of positional authority who does not push for continual improvement and only looks for the status quo, they will not lead and at best they will manage.

Figure 4

The Vision-Strategy Differential

Vision

Strategy

What

How

Ends

Means

Destination

Path

Fixed

Flexible

Sacred

Disposable

Singular

Plural

58 — July/August 2020 Corrections Today