THE INTENTIONAL LEADER

WITH ANNIE FRISOLI, CFEE

CREATING AND SHARING YOUR VISION FOR OTHERS: CULTIVATING THEIR PURPOSE

So often, we forget that our team members desire to be driven, cultivated, and invested in, in order to achieve a greater purpose. Not everybody knows what they’re capable of, or how they’d like to develop over time, but as managers and leaders, we can help them figure it out. Instead of accepting employees or team members at face value, it’s important that we take time to consider their abilities, goals, and potential.

Creating Your Vision for Others

Developing your own vision and purpose for someone else can feel unnatural at first. It takes time and effort to consider someone holistically and put yourself in their shoes to discover what aligns with their own sense of fulfillment. And of course, it’s impossible to know everything about someone, so there’s plenty of guessing that goes into this process. But by the time you’ve created a vision for someone else, you’ll feel equipped to empower and inspire them towards their full potential.

You can begin creating a vision for others by asking yourself what skills you know they already possess, what interests they’ve acknowledged they’d like to pursue, what they feel good at (and bad at) when it comes to their work duties, and any other qualities that come to mind when reflecting on this person. By asking yourself how you can combine these considerations, you can begin to design a vision and purpose for them that can be shared to inspire and engage.

Sharing Your Vision for Others

When it comes time to sit down with your teammates and share your vision with them, it’s important to structure your conversation in a way that feels empowering and encouraging for them (as opposed to daunting or pressured). You might want to write down notes or thoughts that they can keep with them to reflect on, but it’s important to let them know what you see in them, what you see for them, and how you plan to help them get there.

Beyond this conversation, you can reinforce these beliefs by addressing potential and purpose with your team as a group, highlighting each person’s strengths and potential.

Cultivating Their Purpose

Investing in cultivating your team’s purpose takes effort, but it also pays off. You can continue cultivating your vision and purpose for others by ensuring that you’re checking in with them regularly to see how they feel about the goals you’ve set together or ambitions you’ve identified with them. You can continue to look for opportunities that allow them to practice the skills they’d like to develop and work through the challenges that you’ve identified as a good fit for them. In turn, your employees will feel invested in and cared for while contributing to the bigger picture.

Annie Frisoli is Founder & CEO of Creating Community, LLC. She hosts leadership workshops for individuals and organizations, staff retreats to build cohesive teams, and strategic planning sessions for teams and board members. She is a popular speaker and adds energy to any space she arrives. Annie (CFEE), is also a faculty member at the IFEA/NRPA Event Management School and serves on the IFEA Foundation Board. For more information: www.anniefrisoli.com

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