I am excited to tell you about the new Solution Vision article released today. Having a vision matters to me. I am motivated by a compelling picture of the future and by confidence that my work advances a purpose I believe in. Equally, I find an artfully expressed vision that lacks practical guidance frustrating and unactionable. As an executive and a coach, I found this true of all leaders and contributors in all environments.
The art and practice of expressing Solution Vision is the focus of this significant update to the vision article. Now, we provide clear “how to” guidance for expressing a customer-centric vision that will result in solutions that delight your customers and provide value to your organization.
So, what is better than a vision that inspires? A vision that both inspires and provides the information needed to bring the solution to life. This includes the rationale, motivation, and a well-defined path forward. With clarity in these three areas, ARTs and teams can operate in unison while preserving the autonomy needed to be fast and adaptable.
In the article, we describe how to express a solution vision that is actionable through a solution purpose statement, the solution intent, and backlogs, as seen below.
Together, these three elements translate the aspirational vision into information that guides implementation and communicates the work needed to bring the vision to fruition. The purpose addresses the “why” of the solution, making clear its position in the customer’s mind. Solution intent provides the foundational knowledge required to build the solution. Backlogs are used by ARTs and teams to hold the dynamic, prioritized list of work to be done.
We close the article by discussing how to achieve a shared solution vision. Everyone in the value stream must do their part. Leaders must constantly and clearly communicate the vision. ARTs and teams must embrace and pursue it. This includes the courage and commitment to challenge and refine the vision.
The new article, pointedly titled “Solution Vision,” resides on the spanning palette as it applies to all solutions in all configurations of SAFe. While the previous article addressed vision more broadly, we now have separate articles for Portfolio Vision and Solution Vision.
A vision clearly expressed, embraced, and achieved is a dramatic competitive differentiator. We hope that this new article aids you in providing the north star that captures the head, heart, and feet of your ARTs and teams.
Enjoy!
Cheryl Crupi and the Framework Team