Future Possibilities

Future Orientation means focusing on potentials and opportunities and driving change for the better. Taking a stance for shaping the future - individually and collectively - requires going beyond problem analysis or complaints. Jointly clarifying goals and developing a vision together goes a long way in invigorating the human potential to venture into a future many can own. Staying open to emergent opportunities complements the pathways to co-created change.

What you can do to enhance Future Orientation

  1. Set goals and co-create a vision
  2. Focus on potential and stay open to emergent opportunities
  3. Deconstruct the bigger vision and goals into achievable yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily steps
  4. Create a balance between clear goals and openness to emerging opportunities

Here are a few questions that help guide us towards Future Orientation

  1. How would I explain your biggest dream to your best friend?
  2. How does our organization’s vision inspire the passion of all who work there?
  3. In what way do our sustainability initiative partners emotionally engage with our goal?
  4. What is the larger impact we want to achieve?

How does Future Orientation show up ?

Entrepreneurial spirit; drive; glass half full attitude; opportunity spotting; possibility-seeking; positive future outlook; focus on potential; solution-orientation; clear vision; goal setting; passion for change; inspiration by greater cause; attitude of continuous improvement; willingness to lead; openness to emergent change; effectuation

Tools that further Future Orientation

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Empowerment is an important prerequisite for creating the world we want. Our own empowerment and the empowerment of others belong together in strengthening pathways to sustainability. It leads to self-reliant and self-organized individual and collective action towards shaping a world that works for all. Strengthening weaker stakeholder groups is crucial to accelerate change. Distributing responsibility enhances ownership for advancing a joint vision.

What you can do to enhance Empowerment

  1. Pursue your dreams and set small attainable targets
  2. Support the voice and self-organization of weaker stakeholders
  3. Move from a joint diagnosis of a current state to the joint development of steps towards the future
  4. Focus on future recommendations rather than past mistakes

Here are a few questions that help guide us towards Empowerment

  1. If we could not fail, what would we do to improve the situation?
  2. How does our team inspire others?
  3. How do we enhance the voice and self-organization of weaker stakeholders?
  4. What is our agreed upon frame for self-reliant action?

How does Empowerment show up ?

Inspiring self and others; awakening others’ passion for change; shifting mind-sets; building capacity; self-reliance; self-efficacy; self-responsibility; affirmative thinking; enhancing self-organization; capacitation; delegation of responsibilities

Tools that further Empowerment

  1. Empowerment 2

  2. Empowerment

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Decisiveness is the road to making a different future happen. Human beings thrive on putting insights into action, both individually and collectively. The route to improving our rate of return for action decisions is focus. It is the guiding support that helps us cut through complexity. Measuring progress supports the competency to lead transformative change collectively. Patience and persistence go a long way to achieving goals.

What you can do to enhance Decisiveness

  1. Put ideas and decisions into measurable action points
  2. Make sure you follow through with resolutions
  3. Focus on priorities and measure progress
  4. Build the confidence of stakeholders into achieving joint results by reporting on progress and celebrating success

Here are a few questions that help guide us towards Decisiveness

  1. What are our most positive experiences of following through?
  2. What percentages of our team’s jointly made decisions are actually implemented?
  3. If we stepped into the shoes of six key stakeholders from your collaboration initiative, how would they rate (1) the appropriateness of planning indicators and (2) the achievements according to plans on a scale between 1 and 10?

How does Decisiveness show up ?

Taking a stance; following-through; setting priorities; getting things done attitude; thorough planning; high quality project management; target-orientation; discipline; reliability; accountability; measurement of progress; commitment; willingness to manage; clarity of focus; patience; persistence; decision-making

Tools that further Decisiveness

  1. Decisiveness

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