Your team is fixated on short-term goals. How do you convey the value of having a long-term vision?

To begin with, clarity about the long-term vision is essential. You must articulate this vision in a way that resonates with your team's values and daily tasks. Explain how each short-term goal is a stepping stone to the overarching vision, making the connection between present actions and future outcomes. This helps team members see beyond their immediate work and understand their contribution to the bigger picture.

While having clarity about the long-term vision is important, it’s equally crucial to recognize that team alignment and motivation can stem from various sources beyond just the articulation of a vision. Factors such as personal growth opportunities, job satisfaction, and immediate project impact can also significantly influence team engagement and commitment. Balancing the communication of long-term vision with addressing immediate needs and motivations can foster a more holistic approach to team management and goal setting.

As SImon Sinek says: "Start with Why". Remind everyone WHY are we doing what we are doing (hint: it is not money!), you want the team to believe in what you believe (make sure you do believe in it yourself!).

Emphasize the "Why": Don't just focus on the "what" and "how" of the current tasks. Spend time discussing the "why" - the underlying customer needs, market opportunities, and business objectives that are driving the product roadmap. This will help your team see the broader context.

Difficulty with aligning objectives: I have been in companies that focus intensely on short-term goals. The company incentivizes product managers and others to focus on the short term through short planning cycles. As a result, achieving long-term product vision becomes complicated. People are overworked and unsatisfied with what they are doing, resulting in poor employee morale. The product manager should put forward a long-term vision with complete buy-in from the senior management.

The organization's structure and commitment must be there for a long-term vision to motivate your team. With a good company culture and an executable product vision, it is easier to communicate the long-term benefits to team members and stakeholders. If the company is under pressure to deliver short-term results, then as product managers, we can register our concerns, but it is okay to go along.

Having experienced empowerment in my role, I can confidently say that it's an excellent strategy for fostering sustainable growth for both the company and its employees. Empowerment enhances responsibility and creativity, enabling the company to benefit from contributions at all levels, rather than depending solely on the views of a few managerial positions. However, it's important to remember that when implementing this approach, regular mentoring sessions should be held. This ensures that employees have access to support from the higher management team when necessary.

Step1: The team leader should encourage them share their personal goals. Step2: the team leader helps them build align their personal goals to the team’s long term vision. Step3: Give it time. The team will convince itself that to reach their personal goal, the team vision is the way.

Recognize and Reward Long-Term Thinking: Acknowledge and celebrate instances where your team members demonstrate a strategic, long-term mindset. This will reinforce the importance of this perspective and encourage others to adopt a similar approach.