Vision and strategy are important, but these can be difficult to nail down and communicate during changing times. When the vision and strategy aren’t clear, it can be difficult to focus, confusing to others, and a recipe for chaos. Here are some questions for stakeholders (and perhaps yourself if you’re leading the change) to help center the discussion.

1. What is the mission critical leadership agenda that you want to advance?

2. How does this connect to three or four larger issues in the external world in which your organization operates?

3. If you are a part of a larger agency or department, how does your agenda connect to the overall vision and strategies of the department? If these things are not clear from above, note that.

4. What are the major strategies that you are pursuing to advance this work in your operation? Think widely about this and include things that you are currently pursuing, thinking about, and even those novel things that haven’t come up yet?

5. Who are your most important external stakeholders and what does each think about this initiative?