You are someone who is already a long-term thinker, working in a for-profit company. Unlike many, you don’t need to be convinced about the importance of long-term thinking. Somewhere early in the past – childhood, early career – you embedded the idea in your thinking. Now balancing short and long-term thinking is a part of your character.
But this may be why you are confused. Others around you don’t share this trait. In fact, you feel like a fish out of water – always harping on the need for long-term thinking, sometimes asking inconvenient questions.
You can’t understand why others don’t share your concern. And it’s not that you are particularly ESG, sustainable or anything like. Nor do you come from an old-school. You sense that the company would make better decisions if it had more than the usual 3-5-year plan.
But how do you convince others in the C-Suite, and the board, to think with an additional lens?
Tune into this episode as I tackle this wicked problem.
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Similar to most organizations, your company also has a vision or purpose statement. The initial idea was meant to ignite inspiration, but lately, it seems to have lost its allure. What interventions can you implement to foster a collaborative environment and encourage your staff to go above and beyond? And how does this statement support the goals outlined in your corporate strategy?
It is easy to comprehend the reasons for creating a compelling vision.
As we human beings look to the future, our imaginations run wild with the anticipation of what lies ahead, just beyond the corner. As such, while sitting at work on a Friday afternoon, we’re happy, feeling the anticipation of the weekend ahead.
By mid-day on Sunday, our energy levels plummet and a sense of unease settles in. Why? Monday looms ahead, and with it comes the familiar routine and the anticipation of the weekly grind.
Our psychology is wired to have an addictive tendency to anticipate what lies ahead. Sadly, this fact goes unnoticed by most individuals. The lack of understanding about the future, even among progressive companies, is the reason why social media has such a powerful draw for the average employee.
A company vision is management’s way of providing an alternative, and they offer five options to choose from.
1. **The Invisible Vision**: This form of vision exists solely within the mind of the company’s top leadership. While these individuals may be passionate about their vision, they fail to share it with the rest of the organization. Communication barriers or a desire to maintain control often lead to this secretive approach. As a result, employees are left in the dark, lacking a sense of direction and purpose.
In this first category, if no one besides the top leader knows where your organization is headed, it may be the case.
2. **The Vague Vision**: Perhaps the most common form, vague visions lack clarity and specificity. These statements are often found adorning office walls or buried within corporate documents. While they may sound lofty and inspirational, they fail to provide actionable guidance. Without clear goals and timelines, employees struggle to connect their daily tasks to the overarching vision, resulting in disengagement and apathy.
To determine if your company’s statement is vague, try this simple test. Reflect on whether a rational employee could perceive that the objective has already been fulfilled or is on the verge of completion. Is it done?
Additionally, is there a specific year associated with it? If the answers are simply “Yes” and “No”, it can be considered too vague, leaving room for people to only pay it lip-service.
Honestly…it would be more accurate to call it a slogan.
3. **The Squeezed-Up Vision**: In an attempt to avoid ambiguity, some organizations opt for short-term visions. However, these compressed timelines often lead to unrealistic expectations and limited scope. Employees may feel overwhelmed by the pressure to achieve short-term goals without a broader long-term perspective. As a result, motivation wanes, and morale suffers as employees become disillusioned with unattainable targets.
4. **The Strategy-Less Vision**: Even with clearly defined goals, a vision can falter without the support of a comprehensive strategic plan. In this scenario, organizations set ambitious targets but fail to provide a roadmap for achieving them. Without alignment between the vision and strategic objectives, employees are left to navigate uncertain terrain on their own. As a result, initiatives lack direction, resources are mis-allocated, and progress stalls.
But above all, they realize the groundwork has not been done because it fails to confront reality. As such, they believe the vision won’t be implemented.
On the flip side, there is:
**The Ideal Vision**: This represents the pinnacle of corporate visioning, combining clarity, inspiration, alignment, and engagement. An ideal vision is clear and concise, providing a roadmap for the organization’s future. It inspires passion and commitment among employees, fostering a sense of purpose and belonging. Moreover, it is aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives, ensuring that every action moves the company closer to its goals. Finally, it engages employees at all levels, soliciting their input and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
In conclusion, the strength of a corporate vision lies in its ability to provide clear direction, inspire action, and drive meaningful progress. By understanding the various forms of corporate visions and striving for the ideal, organizations can chart a course for success in today’s dynamic business environment.
Navigating professional challenges can feel daunting when your usual methods of coping fail. Friction with colleagues, performance setbacks, economic pressures – these issues can linger and even permeate teams. In times of turbulence, a fresh perspective is needed to build resilience. But where can you start?
Author Byron Katie provided just that with her notion that, “When you are perfectly clear, what is…is the same as what you want.”
While this may sound like a description of what it’s like to be insanely rich, it’s not about achieving all your goals.
Instead, this idea carries powerful implications for managing mindsets when facing adversity. Here is a 3-step, experimental approach to embrace clarity and acceptance:
Step 1: Taking Stock
Begin by taking stock of your immediate surroundings through your senses – the feeling of your feet on the floor, the airflow from the vent, the muffled voices down the hall. Include the observation that you reading this on a screen. Make note of these concrete facts and sensations that comprise your present-moment experience.
Next, turn attention inward. What thoughts, emotions, and social dynamics are swirling within at this time? Name each aspect, from fleeting feelings to charged exchanges with colleagues. These intangible factors also constitute your reality right now.
Let’s mentally label them a pile of stuff you are “Having.”
“Wanting” One at a Time
Now comes the transformative step: transitioning from “having” to “wanting.” After acknowledging each element of your experience, pause and consciously shift into a state of desire. Embrace the desire for what you have, whether it’s this article, your emotions, or even unwelcome sensations like a screen that is too dim.
The key here is to practice acceptance and embrace every facet of your experience, even the ones you’d typically resist. It’s a form of mental jiu-jitsu, where you actively notice a fact, and the feelings around “Wanting” it.
This “having-then-wanting” can transform even the most awful moments.
Building Resilience for Future Challenges
While seemingly simple, the true challenge lies in applying this framework during times of stress. That’s why proactive practice is crucial. Think of it as training for your personal mental Olympics. By regularly practicing “having-then-wanting” in calmer moments, you build inner strength and resilience for when the next hurdle arises.
Notice that in these high-pressure moments, unwanted thoughts forcefully occupy our minds, followed by negative feelings and sensations in our bodies. As we respond, we ignore our inner state in order to survive.
Now imagine embracing, i.e. “Wanting” each of these elements. These could keep us from denying the truth of situations such as the January 6th insurrection. Many are not “Having” it – denying eyewitness testimony and video tapes.
But this isn’t just for you; it’s a team leadership superpower. By collectively acknowledging reality and embracing experiences, you’ll bounce back from setbacks faster and remain grounded when faced with adversity. Imagine the collaborative power of a team where everyone accepts “what is” and works together to navigate it.
Ultimately, this approach empowers you to face stress with grace and emerge stronger. Remember, you would now have the tools to weather any storm. Embrace the practice, cultivate resilience, and forge ahead with confidence, knowing you possess the inner strength to find calm amidst the chaos, even when challenges feel overwhelming.
You are attending a strategic planning offsite and notice that the room has been quiet. Apart from the usual contributions from the CEO and experienced members of the C-Suite, the others are silent.
When they do speak up, it seems as if they are in a regular department meeting, addressing daily concerns. They aren’t thinking strategically.
You want to intervene, but don’t know where to begin.
Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Svyatoslav Biryulin, as we tackle this wicked problem together.
Show Notes
The full video of the discussion is available for paid members. See below.
Svyatoslav Biryulin is a strategy consultant. Before founding his own consulting boutique, Svyatoslav worked for over 20 years in various commercial enterprises, of which 13 years in a CEO position. Since 2012, he has been serving on the boards of directors of companies in various countries, leading strategy committees. He is an active blogger and publicist and lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia https://www.linkedin.com/in/biryulin/
As a high achiever, you likely gauge success by the scope of your accomplishments. Your career advancement, financial security, family growth or other goals are realized through diligent work and conscious effort. When you attain those tangible targets after years of strain and sacrifice, it validates your talents and grit.
Or so it seems initially. But in time, you may come to a sobering realization – hitting each milestone does not equate to an enduring sense of happiness or contentment. After each hard-won promotion, the thrill fades within weeks. Upon hitting your net worth targets, your appetite for more remains. Settling down with your dream partner or having kids fails to fully satisfy for long.
You find yourself needing to establish the next set of ambitions and goals once the euphoria of the last ones dissipates. It becomes an endless cycle of achievement followed by newly uncovered voids to fill. You chase the next rung up the ladder, hoping it will be the one to provide lasting fulfillment, once and for all. But it never does.
This phenomenon is perfectly encapsulated by insights into the psychology of the ultra-wealthy. In interviews, numerous billionaires admit that regardless of their princely bank balances, they do not feel truly carefree. Asked how much money it would take to make them happy, most respond “just 20% more.” Even those with more money than they could spend in a hundred lifetimes feel they require a bit more to be content.
Clearly, there are dangerous pitfalls in deriving your sense of happiness and accomplishment strictly from ambition. Yet modern society offers few viable alternatives. We feel frustration and dismay when our goals – whether career, finances, relationships or other benchmarks of “success” – are not attained on the expected timetables. If only we could get that promotion, save up enough to retire comfortably, find our soulmate or start a family, then we would be happy. Or so we tell ourselves.
Happiness as an Obligation
When voicing disappointment over missed goals or setbacks on the road to ambition, there is no shortage of well-meaning people willing to remind you that, “You should just be happy and grateful for all the blessings in your life!” They will recite all the accomplishments you’ve achieved, the comforts and security you possess, the people that care for you and advantages you were lucky enough to be born with. Just be content with what you have, they insist.
But simply telling someone they should derive happiness from their existing circumstances is rarely effective beyond temporary lip-service gratitude. It also implies there is something wrong with you for not being perfectly content and cheerful at all times, regardless of setbacks. This just reinforces unrealistic expectations of constant joy.
Yes, cultivating gratitude and perspective around what we already have can be highly beneficial. But this is most effective as an intentional, proactive exercise, not a passive obligation. The path to genuine fulfillment requires examining our relationship with ambition itself. It means understanding the neurological roots of concepts like greed, desire, and suffering. This enables consciously shaping habits and mindsets rather than being controlled by them unconsciously.
Two Modes of Wanting
An enlightening distinction made by some languages is between two different forms of “wanting” things. In English, we use the same term to convey both varieties. However, they represent distinct neurological states:
Wanting (a) refers to craving continuation or permanence of positive conditions and experiences. It manifests as ambition, greed, lust, attachment, or addiction. There is an insatiable quality, where fulfillment is always contingent on something not yet obtained. This ties your happiness to external conditions and goals not under your control in the present.
Wanting (b) means embracing and appreciating the positive elements of your reality in the moment, without requiring them to persist indefinitely. Think of deeply savoring an ice cream cone without any expectation or need to continue eating it forever. Or admiring a beautiful sunset without wishing it would never end. No attachment to continuity – simply gratitude for the gift of this ephemeral experience.
Practicing Intentional Wanting
Wanting (a) has its place in moderation. Ambition provides forward momentum and drive. But problems arise when Wanting (a) becomes excessive and grids out Wanting (b). Every positive experience gets taken for granted or leaves you needing more.
Companies often leverage Wanting (b) during strategy sessions. Teams accept current weaknesses in the business to diagnose issues before working to change course. But individuals have difficulty applying Wanting (b) to appreciate life conditions in the present.
The next article will explore daily practices that strengthen your capacity for Wanting (b). This helps short-circuit the dissatisfaction loop of unending ambition and anchors you in gratitude. By consciously focusing Wanting (a) only on select priorities, you gain control over your happiness. Your contentment then stems from within, not hostage to external conditions. This inner footing provides the stable base to sustainably grow and evolve.
Perhaps you think it’s good for the planet. Or maybe you believe it’s the way to permanent competitive advantage. Or long-term value for stakeholders. Or perhaps…you just want a good challenge for some reason, and a desire to move the needle in a sustainable way.
But you have probably noticed that leaders of organizations – for-profit and non-profit alike – have a hard time thinking and planning for the long-term.
You have some ideas for the reasons why. There’s some stuff you read someplace, plus a YouTube video you saw, plus a few colleagues who share your convictions.
But is that enough?
Tune into this episode as I share the ways this podcast will tackle this wicked problem in this upcoming season.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe
As a Founder/CEO, maximizing stakeholder engagement is crucial for your company’s success. Some stakeholders enthusiastically support the organization, yet you occasionally notice significant discrepancies among motivated individuals. Why? Their departments may inadvertently work against each other due to differing managerial perspectives regarding the future.
Despite consistently communicating your vision as a leader, it doesn’t seem to stick in their minds. Merely reiterating the vision doesn’t seem sufficient to align them effectively.
Does It Matter?
Beyond observing conflicting efforts, you also witness some employees lacking motivation, eventually choosing to leave. Despite regular pay and a strong company track record, some individuals express disinterest or discontent.
What’s been overlooked is that once basic needs are met, people seek an inspiring future in their work lives. When this future isn’t evident, they begin creating their own paths, separate from the company’s vision.
For instance, your top employees seem more excited about leaving than remaining with your company. It’s not just a “local life in this town” issue; they’re rejecting the future you’ve presented to them.
Moreover, while the board urges bold moves, the executives fear taking risks, indicating that your vision alone isn’t compelling enough. They crave a more tangible, engaging “future-to-live-into”.
What is a “Future-to-Live-Into”?
Your organization might have a vision statement, but if it’s stale or lacks specificity, it won’t resonate. Staff members today seek more engaging content beyond traditional vision statements.
What’s the Purpose?
Vision statements once offered an inspiring future-to-live-into. Coined by Werner Erhard, it’s a compelling, verbalized future that motivates people to act positively.
How to Harness This Power?
Merely hosting meetings won’t displace default futures. However, there are design principles to follow, like creating a comprehensive, dated, and inspiring endpoint that surpasses previous visions.
Design Rule: A Clear, Time-Bound, Inspiring Vision
To move beyond the CEO’s vision or generic statements, stakeholders desire explicit inspiration and meaning. Crafting a fresh, collective future-to-live-into involves summarizing relevant facts, acknowledging past successes and failures, and identifying unavoidable trends.
Setting a target year anchors ideas within a specific timeframe. Next, articulate a compelling vision with BHAGs, ensuring it’s inspiring enough.
But don’t stop there. Stakeholders seek a credible strategic plan backing these aspirations, providing detail to validate the concept and unify the team.
In the end, a cohesive, fresh future-to-live-into emerges, inspiring the team and replacing their default futures. You’ll have cultivated a cause worth championing, not just a job offering a paycheck.
You’re someone who is looking ahead to your next strategic plan. Why? You’re looking at the process, the activities that go into it, and the final outcome. And you’re wondering, is it too much to ask, or to expect that this one be a game-changer?
You’re familiar with companies that have launched transformational strategies, and they’ve taken over their …
Have you ever left a strategic planning retreat feeling invigorated, only to find that the excitement fizzles out? Despite the initial enthusiasm and belief in the positive change that was about to ensue, weeks later, the essence of those profound discussions becomes a distant memory.
The baffling reality is this: a gathering of bright, dedicated individuals, all ardently striving to make a meaningful difference, encountered an unexpected descent post-retreat. The perplexity of this decline seemed insurmountable, leaving one pondering what went awry.
Thankfully, a recent book “Lead from the Future” by Johnson and Suskewicz sheds new light. These insights delineate a striking dichotomy in mindsets: “Past Forward” versus “Future Back.” Let’s delve into these divergent mental frameworks to illuminate the conundrum at hand.
The Dichotomy of Mindsets
The prevalent “Past Forward” mindset thrives on incremental advancements, rooted in dissecting past triumphs and failures. It’s the default mode for most managers navigating day-to-day challenges, leveraging their proven track records that propelled them up the ranks.
However, the milieu of a strategic planning retreat demands a paradigm shift, beckoning participants to embrace an unfamiliar “Future Back” approach. Here lies the crux: mastering this skill within a group setting remains uncharted territory for the average manager.
Sure, crafting lofty vision statements might seem within their purview. Yet, sculpting a comprehensive future and then backcasting it to the present demands a distinct skill set. It’s akin to acquainting oneself with an intricate dance just moments before the performance begins.
Initial struggles are commonplace with newfound skills. Yet, with perseverance, momentum gradually builds. Ideas cascade, intertwine, and gather pace, an exhilarating whirlwind of innovation and collaboration ensues.
The Fragility of Future Back Thinking
However, amidst this euphoria lurks a paradox unique to strategic planning assemblies.
Picture hurtling down a steep incline in a hastily assembled homemade go-kart…at breakneck speeds. The thrill is palpable, but the precariousness looms – at any moment, the framework could splinter apart.
Similarly, the pinnacle of a strategic planning retreat rests atop the fragile pedestal of a Future Back mindset. However, the buoyant euphoria often leads participants to overestimate its durability, a temporary high masking its ephemeral nature.
Regrettably, mere hours post-retreat, this Future Mindset evaporates. The commitments, decisions, and promises made during the meeting dissolve as the rigors of daily operations resurface, ushering back the Present Forward mentality.
Hence, navigating this transition demands astute tactics tailored for strategic planning retreats, steering teams from this transient mindset toward tangible implementation.
Constructing Resilient Frameworks
Envisage your next retreat as an arena for implementing these tactics:
– Visual Strategy Mapping: Transcend mere verbal articulation; employ diagrams to encapsulate the elusive strategic hypothesis underlying your deliberations.
– Actionable Projects: Define projects in tangible terms, delineating actionable steps for seamless execution.
– Project Descriptions: Elaborate on each project in written paragraphs, engraving its significance and rationale into the strategy.
– Sponsorship Assignments: Appoint sponsors for each project, fostering ownership and ensuring continuity beyond the retreat.
– Comprehensive Documentation: Record vital discussions and retain transcripts for future reference and sustenance of momentum.
These strategic pillars aren’t just conveniences; they stand guard against the pervasive “Strategy Amnesia” plaguing planning efforts. Deploy them to infuse accountability and anticipation into the implementation phase, steering clear of post-retreat disillusionment.
Have you ever left a strategic planning retreat feeling invigorated, only to find that the excitement fizzles out? Despite the initial enthusiasm and belief in the positive change that was about to ensue, weeks later, the essence of those profound discussions becomes a distant memory.
The baffling reality is this: a gathering of bright, dedicated individuals, all ardently striving to make a meaningful difference, encountered an unexpected descent post-retreat. The perplexity of this decline seemed insurmountable, leaving one pondering what went awry. <more>
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe
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