Blinding Vision

     Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can falter when we overwhelm our team or audience  with too much information. When I started a new position at a company, I confidently told management that I’d present a clear vision and actionable plan for my team within 90 days. I spent that time gathering insights from various sources, validating the information, and drafting a solid path forward. Along the way, I shared snippets of the plan with my team and received encouraging feedback.

     By the end of the 90 days, I had developed a comprehensive analysis of the current state and identified key areas for improvement. I compiled everything into a detailed Word document and prepared polished PowerPoint presentations to share with management and my team. From my perspective, the plan was thorough, clear, and actionable. Management approved it, and I felt confident heading into the meeting with my team.

     Having already discussed parts of the plan with individual team members, I assumed the presentation would be a slam dunk. Instead, I was met with resistance—my team’s reaction was defensive, and they effectively “swatted my proposal to the tenth row.” It was a humbling experience and a pivotal moment for personal growth. While I had thought I was prepared, I realized that I had overwhelmed my team with too much information. Rather than inspiring them, my ambitious vision left them feeling blinded.

     So, what did I do next? I set aside the Word document and PowerPoint slides and shifted my approach. I started leading the team toward the vision by tackling one or two priorities at a time—sometimes breaking down a single issue into multiple steps. Progress became incremental but steady, and the vision remained the guiding light. The detailed documents were archived and never revisited during this process.

     Fast forward a few years, and one of my team members, who was pursuing his MBA, approached me. He’d noticed the numerous documents I had written during our time working together and asked if I could share some to support his academic work. I decided to share the original Word document from my first 90 days. A few days later, he came back and said, “You know, we achieved every recommendation you outlined in that document.”

      I smiled and replied, “Yes, we did—but I learned that presenting too much information at once can overwhelm people. That’s why I chose to focus on smaller, manageable steps, one at a time.”

     This experience taught me an invaluable lesson: even the best plans, full of thoughtful details, can fail to inspire action if they overwhelm the people who need to implement them. Instead, success often lies in breaking the vision into digestible, bite-sized pieces. Progress may take time, but by staying focused and deliberate, the vision is still achieved.

  Have you ever shared too much information and unintentionally overwhelmed your audience? What strategies can you use to ensure your vision is clear, actionable, and achievable?

- BigE