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I found a really applicable illustration from Kenneth Boa on communication:

A man was struggling to get his washing machine through the front door of his home as his neighbor was walking past. The neighbor, being a good neighbor, stopped and asked if he could help. The man breathed a sigh of relief and said, “That would be great. I’ll get it from the inside and you get it from the outside. We should be able to handle this quickly.”

But after five minutes of continual struggle, they were both exhausted. Wiping the sweat from his brow, the neighbor said, “This thing is bigger than it looks. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to get it into your house.”

“Into my house? I’m trying to get this thing out of my house!”

Have you ever been in a similar situation? You set things in motion and expended energy thinking everyone was on the same page, only to find that there was a huge breakdown in communication.

We always find it so easy to revert to the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid. It’s easy to believe that others know what we are thinking or trying to accomplish. However, in the reality of leadership, if it were that simple anyone could do it!

Those with a vision from God to lead in greatness must understand that the road ahead is not the simple, straight path.  As clear as the vision is in our hearts and minds, we must understand that no one else will see it and live it the way that we do. We must continually communicate, or cast the vision for the sake of others. As Forest Gump said, “Simple is as simple does.” Sorry leaders, this isn’t simple. It takes forethought, strategy and a lot of effort. It will call upon all of your leadership skills, even some you may not know you have, in order to see the vision cast successfully.

In real estate they say that the 3 most important things in buying a property are location, location, location. I say that the three most important things to casting a vision are communication, communication, then some more communication. I don’t mean say a sentence 3 times so people remember it, but instead I say to say it 3 times, in 3 different ways, at 3 strategically different times so that others can be constantly reminded and so that the vision can continually be confirmed.

Remember, where there is no vision the people will perish. Have you effectively communicated the vision of your ministry clearly and plainly so that others can understand it and live it? Or, are you pushing the washing machine out the door and enlisting others to help, yet in the end finding that while you wanted the washing machine out of the house, everyone else thought you wanted it in the house?

Casting vision is a serious business. Be intentional and unashamed about it!

Once someone is struck by a vision from God and they have been able to write it out in a way that makes sense to others, then the real work of the vision begins. One of the things I believe is a huge shortcoming of the church is communication. It seems that some churches overly communicate in ways that are stifling and controlling, while other churches don’t communicate much at all. In order to see a vision become a reality, communication is critically important. It does require a balance though.

What is the purpose of casting vision and making it known to others? I think Henry Blackaby said it best in Spiritual Leadership: Moving People to God’s Agenda when he wrote: “Graphs and charts can convey data and engage minds, but a story detailing God’s activity in the midst of a secular world can engage people’s hearts and gain their commitment.”

God gives us the vision, but he then calls upon us to communicate this vision to his people. It sounds easy enough, but it definitely takes a tremendous amount of humbleness, openness, sincerity, passion, desire, motivation, and several other things. Anyone can read something on a piece of paper and repeat it to others, but it takes a person called by God to see something through and be able to execute it with a passion so strong it’s as if his or her life depended on it. This is what separates visions from dreams. Dreams are wishful thinking, but visions are things that compel one to get it done.

One of the difficulties of communicating the vision is disappointment. It’s simply not for everyone, therefore we are going to hear things like, “That’s crazy and way too radical!” or “It’s been tried before and failed every time.” However, if we push through it, keep in prayer, and stay faithful to the mission of the vision, then we will have our vision and calling confirmed as we begin to engage people’s heart and gain their commitment.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there either. We have to continually re-engage people’s hearts and regain their commitments. It’s an ongoing process, but one that we must appreciate if we are to see the lasting impact of a new move of God within our cities.

How good are we at conveying the story of God’s activity in the midst of the secular world? Maybe it’s time to get back to re-introducing people to God’s vision within your community/ministry and see his awesome power begin to be unleashed all over again.