Elements of Community Visioning: A Perspective

Visioning has found success for individuals, organizations and communities as an intervention for change. This process is used as a catalyst for change that involves all stakeholders. Although visioning has some disadvantages, the process has found high levels of success and has made significant social, environmental, and economic impacts on communities and their members. Within this paper, elements of the process of visioning and its advantages and disadvantages will be discussed. An example of how the Wisconsin Rapids intervention was conducted and the subsequent results will be examined. The word “visioning,” at its most elementary level, can conjure up dreams of seeing into the future or looking into a crystal ball to see a glimpse of events to come. Although visioning in this respect may not seem to relate to the community, it is essentially at the heart of what community visioning is. Visioning requires dreaming and using the most active parts of one’s imagination. In a professional sense, visioning is a term used to refer to a personal, organizational, or community intervention in which individuals or members develop and describe their desired vision of the future (French & Bell, 1999). Within the development of the vision, a time frame is usually set some distance into the future. This imagined future may be anywhere from six months to 30 years in the future. Community members are required to imagine the future as they would like to see it in the most pristine or perfect sense. In essence, the participants are creating a mental paradise for life in the future for themselves, their organization, or their community. This intervention is focused on the most positive aspects of the future and does not dwell on problems or figurative bumps in the road. The Basic Visioning Process Techniques for launching the visioning process can vary. Sometimes there is a catalyst that requires this type of intervention, other times there is a perceived situation in the future that requires future planning. Whether it is a catalyst or a part of a planned process, a visioning process can begin in different ways. Although some prefer quiet reflection time and small phrases to record the vision, others feel working with abstract objects or tools allow the imagination to flourish (French & Bell, 1999). They believe going beyond the pen and paper allows the imagination to become more fluid for a better vision to be imagined. Although the catalysts for launching the vision vary, the following components are relatively the same. These components include: the sharing of the vision without debate, the refocusing of the vision whereby all members buy into the newly created vision, and the development of an action plan to make the vision a reality (French & Elements of Community Visioning 2 Bell, 1999; Clemmer, 2006). These components may not happen during the first session of visioning, but they are essential if the overall intervention will find success.