adminvisionary minds the present is unsatisfactory and the future brings fulfilment. Visions must be able to make one enjoy the yet un-experienced pleasure in such a powerful way that you look forward to that experience without seeing it. Visions give an advance experience with things that do not exist at the moment.
Looking into the future is normally difficult. Most fishermen are preoccupied with catching fish in the dam now. To them the dam will always be there even if they do not seriously engage themselves in conservation activities.
Rarely do they stop to reflect on what will happen to the dam in three months or 10 years. They also do not think it is necessary to ponder about what will happen to themselves in the next three months or 10 years.
Probably it is one out of a million fishermen who would think in terms of guaranteeing his sport by building his own dam. The moment I mentioned building one’s own dam, the majority of people who are reading this passage right now will say that is impossible or we cannot all build dams. But a visionary will actually be salivating at the opportunity to safeguard his future interests that way. Darwendale Dam can still be there in the next 10 years but a visionary can change the status quo by building another dam.
Despite the conventional thinking that it is not practical to build your own dam, however, most of the dams that are dotted around Zimbabwe have been constructed by individuals. It is very practical and achievable to own/build a dam.
Personification of visions
The managers (CEOs) who lead visions are the embodiment of the visions. Their actions determine the success or failure of the vision. The way they carry themselves around has a strong correlation with the successful implementation of a vision. For example, if the manager is sleepy, the vision will also be sleepy.
The managers’ actions can sap the employees’ drive to attain the vision. It is important to note that individual employees or subordinates who do not agree with the vision must be shown the door or they must resign. Visions by nature are non-negotiable once adopted.
It is incumbent upon visionaries to understand that vision is not about numbers but buying in. In Judges 7, Gideon’s army was reduced from 32 000 to 300 men. These 300 men defeated the armies of the Midianites and Amalekites who were “as numerous as locusts”. Vision also has a price to pay.
In Numbers 14v36-38 the 10 men who had doubted that the Israelites would defeat the inhabitants of Canaan died of plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. God also advised that the Israelites would wander in the desert for 40 years for constantly questioning and doubting Him, and only their children would be able to live in Canaan.
Most visions are communicated in writing, or during company events but to a great extent by management leading by example. The results of studies (Oct: 2011) carried out on 10 companies in Zimbabwe show that visions are communicated as follows: 10 percent written, 20 percent through company culture and 70 percent through association of the vision to the person championing the vision.
Successful visions are not judged by their coming into life during the time of the leader. Visions live beyond the lives of the leaders. Liberation leaders like Herbert Chitepo, Josiah Tongogara and Jason Moyo died before the attainment of independence but had a vision to liberate Zimbabwe.
Difference between vision and sight
Most fishermen have eyes. They can see their fishing line, reel, hook and sinker. In addition, they can see the dam, the ducks, fish and weed structure in the dam. They can identify places that the bass is likely to bite or places which are historically attractive. Clever ones can formulate some fishing patterns during the year by recording their experiences over the years.
What they aspire to purchase are good rods and probably 120 horsepower boats. This is what they see as guaranteeing their future sport.
The fishermen in many respects are like an average manager. An average manager like a child is taught to see patterns and recognise patterns. Many relate to the patterns in relation to their present work environment. Rarely do they relate it to their past experience. Asking them to use the same patterns and infer into the future becomes a mammoth task because there is no sight of the future. Not everyone is gifted with the talent of recognising patterns and trends beyond tomorrow.
Average managers have good sight. They can see patterns and try to manage their companies to conform to patterns. The logic they obtain from patterns and trends is that of swimming along with the tide. The preoccupation being managing effectively, the political, social, economic, technological, institutional and legal environments they operate in. When they listen to important national monetary and fiscal announcements they can see opportunities where the rest see gloom.
Above average managers take logic generated by patterns to infer into the distant future. This breed of people is not satisfied with their current environment. They feel they have power to change what they see in a progressive manner. They feel they have the power to determine their future circumstances. Their minds are not limited by their personal disadvantages. Visionary mentality is not housed in any specific background. The mentality can be found in affluent or disadvantaged people. The mentality cuts across all backgrounds.
Currently, Zimbabwe is said to have the highest per capita minerals in the world. This is no mean blessing from God by all standards. We all know and at some stage in our lives we have seen or heard of any of the following minerals: gold, iron ore, platinum, diamonds, chrome and coal. Judging from the biased sample of big mining companies I visited recently, their visions mostly talked about is that of becoming the world class or premier or number one extractor of such and such minerals. In their mission statements they are quick to point out that this will be done using “environmentally friendly methods of extraction” which some of them do not even believe in.
For 365 days in a year, the managers of these companies see these minerals but find it extremely impossible to do value addition on these minerals but instead rely on other nations in Europe and Far East to do it for them.
Never mind how much gold is mined in Sadc, all the member states have to wait for the London Metal Exchange to give them a price for their minerals. So is platinum, chrome, copper and many others. There are questions that have been begging for answers for a long time.
- Is it beyond our reach to have a regional or country mineral exchange similar to our tobacco auction floors?
- If we can auction tobacco here why can’t we auction our gold here too?
- Or why can’t we have a minerals exchange in Africa?
- Have Africans surrendered their destiny to Europe or Far East?
Zimbabweans like most Africans are known for aspiring for higher things but neglecting the resources they are endowed with.
Our visions have not been able to create logic from natural endowments. This has left Africans waiting for Europeans to give them visions for their minerals. This means that if managers fail to apply themselves, competitors will exploit their markets on their behalf.
Online Reporter