Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.

-William Butler Yeats

When communicating a vision, you should:

• Be consistent and willing to repeat yourself. Consistency of message is essential; repetition helps spread and reinforce your vision. On a rational level, repetition helps everyone stay focused and understand exactly what they are supposed to do to help realize the vision.
• Be passionate about your vision. Communicate with a passion that causes people to desire the same end result. If you can't, you haven't effectively tapped the motivation necessary to make the vision come to life.
• Make communication an ongoing, two-way proposition. Leading people should not involve a one-way stream of messages from top to bottom. Instead, messages should flow both ways. If people are to feel that they actually have a stake in the vision you are asking them to realize, it is critical to facilitate two-way communication.
• Provide feedback and be willing to coach. Since so much of leading is about accomplishing results through others, you can only succeed if stakeholders have the necessary tools and resources they need — including your personal involvement. Provide feedback, both positive and negative, on a regular basis, and take the time to coach others when needed.
• Be out front. As the project of achieving your vision moves forward — or falters, or even moves backward — make certain that you are front and center and show your willingness to steer.
• Issue calls to action. Should you need to change direction suddenly in the face of unforeseen circumstances, or simply need to get people energized, you should feel comfortable speaking up and asking for support directly.
• Emphasize that everyone needs to communicate effectively. Leaders aren't the only ones who need to communicate. Employees should foster communication skills peer-to-peer as well as up and down the organizational ladder. Groups, units, and even organizations that emphasize open communications seem to have a greater sense of purpose and unity, probably because employees take the time to keep one another informed.
• Choose media wisely. While leaders should use a wide range of media to communicate their message, they also need to be sensitive to the media they use. Electronic communications such as e-mail should never supplant face-to-face communications. Also, large-scale meetings are most effective for generating excitement about the company's vision, but less appropriate for specific performance-related issues.

If you fail to communicate your vision effectively, people will not move in the same direction. Without proper alignment, it will be difficult — if not impossible — to motivate your stakeholders to make your vision a reality.