Determining the strength of your future state
Within the Marine Corps, your future state is always leading: what do you want to achieve and why is that important? If you have your future state clear, it becomes easier to make choices that will eventually lead you to your goal. Even if those choices are less pleasant, easy or obvious at the time. Do we win the battle or do we win the war? You actually take a helicopter view and, as a result, you see more. Those who see more can make better choices. We can all learn something from that in business as well.
When we travel, it is useful to know where we are going. If you travel without a final destination, you can end up anywhere. This may sound adventurous and nice and free, but the chances of arriving at your desired destination are nil.
Because how often do we start running for more efficiency and productivity without actually knowing where we are actually running to? Directionless and hard running will fortunately get you something: burnout, for example. This is why it is important to take a step back first.
What do you want to achieve and why is that important?
As Albert Einstein (1879-1955) put it, "If I have an hour to solve a problem, I spend the first 55 minutes to fully understand it. The last 5 minutes I use for the solution." By which he is basically saying: if you know exactly what you want to accomplish why, you will figure out the best way to get it done.
If you have a clear future state (goal) and know why you are doing it, you can always stay on top of the big picture. After all, we all have the best plans and theories about how we want our lives to be. But when push comes to shove, do we stick to it? Without a clear goal and reason why you want to achieve that goal, the chances are slim.
Future state in your team
For yourself but also for a team, having a future state is enormously important. In our sessions, we often see that the goal is quickly clear. But the why is often less clear. An example from a session:
- Goal: Develop new brand identity
- Different reasons of the 'why':
- Tapping into new audiences
- New experience for the customer
- Giving the brand a different image
So you can see that the why can hugely determine how you proceed and thus what your outcome is. A shared future state also makes it easier for individual colleagues to make decisions that contribute to the greater goal. Would you and your team also like to set your sights on the right goal? Contact us for more information.
Also read: How do you determine your future state?
