Vision or Visibility ...

Imagine you could see into the future. The value of the view depends on the distance you can see and the quality of the image.  If you can see a long way - but in poor resolution - what is the value of the vision?  If you can see in great detail, but only a short time frame - what is the value of that vision?  Which would you rather have?

What would you call the ability to see into the future - vision - or visibility?

Vision in a pure form is the faculty of sight.  But in a business sense vision is unusual competence in discernment or perception.  In the business sense vision is intelligent foresight.  Visibility is the degree that something is visible - capable of being seen, the degree of manifestation of being perceptible.

Vision is foresight.  Visibility is current - now.

Leadership requires vision.  Management requires visibility.

Leadership provides direction, guidance and defines goals. Management assures that resources and assets are properly applied.  The need of each role differs as much as the goal of each role.  The leader and the manager may share the same goal (improve profits) but each role contributes to the goal in a different way, using different tools.

If the goal is improved productivity, the impact is dependent on the field of focus. Close focus limits the power of the impact.  Too close focus excludes options-ideas from other disciplines, limits the vision of how other parts of the operation are impacted by a local change.  A broader focus provides broader visibility of the whole operation, but may be too far to pick up on the details that could add additional profits.

The challenge: being able to adjust focus - to be able to shift from visibility to vision and back to visibility.  A manager that aspires to being a leader better develop the skill “to shift the focal point” between vision and visibility - both are required for success.

Chicken or Egg first?  Vision or Visibility first?  Part or Parcel?

Vision is unusual competence in discernment or perception.  The required competence required the ability to “see”, or have visibility to the events and actions taking place.  But unlike close visibility, vision moves the point of view back, changing the focal point from the discrete event to the enterprise as a whole.  Effective leaders use vision to direct efforts.  These leaders understand the “pebble in the pond” relationship in any operation.  Sometimes that vision is naturally there.  Conventional wisdom is that vision is developed through experience - along with wisdom.

Or is vision really rooted in the realm of “what if…”?  Vision requires some creative ability, the ability to see what is not visible and the ability to “see” what could be if the conditions changed.    Does vision need to be crystal clear?