John Stockdale became famous, or infamous perhaps, for an uncomfortable moment in live television history. As Ross Perot's Vice Presidential running mate, an aging and unknown Stockdale stared blankly into the camera and asked, "Who am I?" "Why am I here?"
His confused expression and awkward pauses signaled disorientation at best, and possibly even a nervous breakdown before millions of viewers. We exhaled only when he coherently began answering the questions he had posed. We may also have overlooked his wisdom.
Asking and answering these questions honestly is something every organization should do if it intends to remain relevant in a rapidly-changing world. The answers form a common foundation that defines an organization and provide a sound platform upon which a viable plan for the future can be constructed.
Last week in Ligonier, "Noble Vision" steering committee co-chairs Denise Lemmon and Abbey Lash unveiled a written vision statement consisting of three complementary themes: world-class learning opportunities, a vibrant and diverse economy, and a superior quality of life. Each is more fully described in the vision statement itself.
Noble Vision's foundation, however, was not really the product of a steering committee. It was extracted through analysis of seven comprehensive plans that discovered nine common themes that bond Noble County residents across communities and over time.
Dozens of citizens also participated in listening sessions across the county to prioritize the nine themes that recurred in the comprehensive plans. They also ranked Noble's county's current alignment with the regional "Vision 2020" pillars and where they'd like to see it align in the future.
Noble Vision was the brainchild of Noble County EDC and was introduced at the development corporation's annual meeting last week. EDC continues to steward the process and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership continues to provide valuable guidance, having a multi-year head-start with its stewardship of Vision 2020. Ball State University served Noble Vision as researchers and process facilitators.
Based on lessons learned from Vision 2020, Noble Vision stakeholders should expect continued sharpening of the vision statement and its components as the steering committee enrolls more participants in tackling the challenges of each vision element.
In this quest they are guided - even in unknowingly - by author and researcher Joel Arthur Barker, whose work found that students who excelled in school had one common characteristic.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, it wasn't socio-economic conditions or aptitude. The single most important factor in predicting success was a positive and self-created vision for a better future.
County and regional visions are more elusive. They involve tens or even hundreds of thousands of stakeholders. And not every county works together as well as Noble County does.
But if Barker's research findings are transferrable to counties, Noble Vision, with the continued involvement of its residents, is well-positioned to realize its own unique and very positive future.