We all know that tightrope. The urgent / important matrix. That nearly impossible balance of getting things done in the near-term, while keeping your eye on the future. I feel it as a leader. And in conducting research for our clients, I hear it from their customers as well, from CIOs to VPs of Design. It happens to teams of all experience levels at organizations of all sizes.
The risk of falling right now can feel so overwhelming that we become short-sighted and lose track of our vision.
Time and time again we hear from leaders who want to focus on vision, but are told it’s a distraction from more immediate deliverables, or find themselves struggling to focus. Earlier this year, we hosted a panel discussion with leaders who were able to combat this narrative—but not without some objection handling. As one panelist said of the tension, “We’ve got competitive pressure and immediate deliverables to meet. Vision work can feel like a luxury we can’t afford right now.”
Treating Vision as a Luxury is a Path to Nowhere
Viewing future-forward work as a “nice-to-have” overlooks the long-term gains that vision brings to the table. By articulating a clear product vision, teams can ensure that today’s development efforts don’t just meet current demands, but also align with the broader strategic direction of the company.
And listen, I get it. There are very real priorities teams need to address right now. But, even in a resource-constrained environment, investing in a well-crafted product vision can reduce misalignment, avoid costly rework down the line, and provide a roadmap for sustained growth.
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“What’s not to like about stepping into the future state of your product?”
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The Power of Co-Creation and Stakeholder Alignment
Another reason teams hesitate to create space for vision work? Making sure no one feels left out. This is especially true in enterprises with multiple departments and large teams. There’s often a fear that vision work will exclude certain voices. Visionary leaders may encounter pushback from stakeholders who feel their input isn’t going to be considered or (even worse) that design-led initiatives are disconnected from the core business strategy.
One solution? Co-creation. Bringing cross-functional teams into the vision process not only fosters buy-in but also leads to better outcomes.
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“I've seen the power of co-creating a vision. When you include more voices in the process, you get richer insights, stronger alignment, and a shared sense of ownership that's hard to beat.”
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Set expectations early and often to help put concerns at ease. Host regular touchpoints and collaborative workshops to help maintain momentum and ensure everyone is aligned, even with varied priorities.
I would add here: obviously it’s not realistic that everyone is going to be 100% gung-ho about every decision. Yes, be inclusive and collaborative, but also be clear about who has a “voice” and who has a “vote” (as Christian Idiodi and Lea Hickman did so smartly in their recent video). Developing a visiontype can help support the basics of good team dynamics, candor, and commitment (as described in the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team).
Striking the Balance: Timeboxing Vision Work
In times of economic uncertainty, many organizations are more likely to prioritize short-term results over long-term strategic initiatives, making it even more difficult to rally around vision work. One strategy to address this is timeboxing your vision efforts.
By clearly defining the scope and duration of vision sprints, leaders can demonstrate that the work will not disrupt ongoing deliverables.
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“We timeboxed our vision work...and although we encountered resistance, the process was tightly facilitated and yield tangible outcomes.”
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This ensures that, even with limited resources, the organization sees value in both the vision process and its outputs within a manageable timeframe—and without sidelining near-term needs.
Forcing Focus
This sounds shamelessly self-promoting, but it’s true: many of our vision clients, or those working with other external partners, choose to collaborate externally because the commitment to a budget and deadline serves a powerful forcing function.
It’s too bad, but it’s also true that stakeholders “feel” consultant dollars more poignantly than they feel internal salaries. So they (and you) are psychologically teed up to focus and get it done once you’ve agreed to and set aside budget for the initiative.
Vision is Leadership. Leadership is a Necessity.
By positioning vision work as a tool for aligning teams and ensuring that the organization is moving in the right direction, leaders can turn vision initiatives from a ‘nice-to-have’ into a business necessity. Moreover, when leadership embodies this conviction, it reassures stakeholders that the investment in vision will pay off, even if the returns are not immediately visible.
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“Conviction is a big part of leading organizations through uncertainty. Without it, competing voices and distractions can easily derail your efforts.”
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Vision work belongs to everyone, but someone has to lead the way to help their organization imagine what’s possible.
If that someone is you, remember to address common objections head-on, foster stakeholder alignment through co-creation, and look for opportunities to demonstrate the immediate value of timeboxed vision work.
In uncertain times, vision work may feel like a luxury, but it takes a forward-looking mindset to remain competitive and to inspire teams. By aligning around a clear vision, organizations can not only survive challenging market conditions but emerge stronger with a product strategy that places impactful outcomes over incremental outputs.
Watch the full webinar, Green Light Your Visiontype, to hear first-hand experiences from Design and Product leaders who successfully gained buy-in for their vision initiatives.
