Kotter 8-Step Step 3 - Form a Strategic Vision and Initiatives. Clarify how the future will differ from the past + how you can make that future a reality. A good vision is Imaginable (paints picture) + Desirable (appeals to stakeholders) + Feasible (realistic goals) + Focused (clear guidance for decision-making) + Flexible (allows individual initiative + alternative responses) + Communicable (5-minute test). The Accelerate model embeds vision in a Big Opportunity Statement linking the urgency to a strategic opportunity (NOT just a threat-response). Strategic initiatives are change projects + experiments + cross-functional teams that operationalise the vision (NOT business-as-usual + functional projects). Differentiate: Vision (where we are going) + Strategy (how we get there) + Plans (specific steps + timelines) + Budgets (financial allocations). Common failure: too analytical (only numbers) + too long + too vague + too specific + dominated by financial metrics + over-management of detail + un-communicated. Methods: rough draft from coalition + iterate + simplify + test for memorability + connect to values + include stakeholder voices.
The graph holds this control, the 0 it maps to, and the evidence behind each claim, over MCP and REST.