When Vision Flows Like Water: Crystallizing Vision Using Cascades and Cycles
- Thomas E. Anderson, II
- Aug 14
- 3 min read
Vision communication in organizations resembles the water cycle. I thought about this parallel when writing Visionary Leadership, but the insights didn’t quite make it into the book. So, I decided to share them with you here.
The way vision moves through a team can be described using two water analogies: cascades and cycles.
Turning Vision into a System
When vision crystallizes, leaders translate vision into strategy, objectives, goals, and tactics. Ackerman and Eden (2011) called this the “goals system.” The term “goals system” is profound because it’s often said, “A business is a system of systems.” So, the process of setting a strategic direction through vision translation, crystallization, and cascading results in a system of comprehensive outcomes and the means by which organizational members will use to pursue them.
Crystallizing the high-level vision at a high level allows executive leaders and strategic team members to translate the company vision into departmental visions for their units. This gives the vision granularity and mobility. The relationships between what foresight expert Andy Hines calls small “v” and big “V” vision are on full display here.
A crystallized plan is one that you can see your vision through. Likewise, a proper translation and cascading process ensures the small “v” vision reflects the Big “V” vision. The vision is translated into the language of departments, teams, and job functions, all of which come to reflect the overarching vision. The final product of the cascading process is what I call a planning prism, which includes a goals system you can see the vision through.
The initial crystallization process is not continuous, per se, but vision-related activities continue to flow in multiple directions throughout the lifecycle of a vision. (Remember: the drudgery of today’s status quo was once an exciting, brand-spanking new vision).
Vision and the Water Cycle
This is where things get more interesting. Once the system is set up, the vision begins to move through organizations like rain and snow through the water cycle. Think back to your high school earth science classes. Do you remember how water moved in multiple directions throughout the atmosphere, on land, and even beneath the surface? Ok…I had trouble remembering every detail, so here’s a visual aid.
Vision moves in a similar way when it is communicated and conveyed. Beneath the surface, core values are animating behavior and populating the very words of the conversation between people. Values are driving what gets prioritized and celebrated versus reprimanded and punished. (Let’s not pretend punishment in workplaces doesn’t exist. It does.)
You'd also need to consider the organizational structure. In a pyramid or hierarchy, top-down communication resembles rain, snow, and other precipitation. Bottom-up communication also happens through feedback loops. Individual contributors carry new information to their managers, who convey or report those insights further up the chain of command. This movement of vision-related information resembles water being transported from a body back to the atmosphere through evaporation. In a flat, decentralized, or networked structure, vision-related communication moves horizontally. It travels to and from the network hub to the fringes of the organization and back again. The complexity increases.
Embedding the Vision
This is important: Team members don’t wait for leaders to crystallize and cascade the vision in order to communicate about the collective future they hope to enjoy. Organizational members are constantly relaying information, and the details of a new vision are often assembled by leaders who are attuned to the people's needs. To embed a new vision into the culture of the organization, leaders have to inspire people by talking about it (speaking the language) and doing something about it (taking action). That could include:
Discussing what it means to and for those team members
Mapping out the implications using tools like the Futures Wheel
Measuring the gaps with frameworks like McKinsey’s 7-S Model
Diverse perspectives enrich the meaning and relatability of the vision. This creates distinct lines of sight through the organization, ensuring everyone has a relationship to the vision. For instance, sales reps can see how the vision could impact customers. HR can picture how the vision could help with developing new and existing talent. Finance can see how to reallocate funds to pursue future initiatives while handling long-term fiscal responsibilities.
When a vision is properly crystallized, cascaded, and communicated, team members can use the vision to reshape their workdays. Yes, change and transformation will be necessary. The good news is that an effective vision produces a net gain that gives new initiatives a leg to stand on.
References
Ackerman, F. & Eden, C. (2011). Making strategy: Mapping out strategic success. Sage.
Cain, D. (2025). Water cycle diagram [Diagram]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 14, 2025, from https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/freshwater/water-cycle
Hines, A. (2021, August 24). We say big v visioning is about the future of the organization. Small v visioning is about implications [Post]. LinkedIn.