I just spoke with Michelle, an executive in a large organization, freshly returned from a strategic planning session.
“The future looked bright,” she enthused.
“That’s exciting,” I responded.
“Yes,” she said, “We spent two days on our ideal future. We lived in the blue sky of our vision.”
“And now?” I asked.
“Now, I’m depressed.”
She explained, “The future is all creativity and possibility. It’s inspiring, but doesn’t really touch me where I live – which is in the present. In day-to-day reality.”
Blue Sky is not Enough
There’s a problem with many strategy efforts. They are overly visionary with little connection to the common ground of daily reality. Purely blue-sky inspiration is heady, exciting, but ultimately short lived.
We need to envision the future. But overly focusing on vision while ignoring the mundane facts of daily life is not vision. It’s . . . fantasy.
I’m not sure if it was Robin Williams or some other wise-fool who said, “I’ve given up my search for truth. Now, I’m just looking for a good fantasy.”
I can relate. Funny as it is, such an approach doesn’t do much towards transforming a team or organization.
Reality is Not Enough, Either
It is important to face facts. Ignoring a situation doesn’t actually make it go away. But, simply dwelling on the cold, harsh facts of our day-to-day experience doesn’t work either.
Simply grinding away on today’s issues is exhausting. It can feel like we are pushing against an immovable mountain. And the mountain won’t budge. The challenges start looking too big and our efforts too puny.
So, how do you move the mountain?
How do you create the kind of momentum that will start rolling the juggernaut of today’s reality towards your ideal future?
The Stockdale Paradox
The secret is a timeless principle that was re-discovered by Admiral James Stockdale during his time as a POW Viet Nam. He had been shot down and imprisoned in the “Hanoi Hilton” for almost eight years. As the highest-ranking officer among the POWs, Stockdale sought to encourage, guide, and lead his fellow prisoners through their ordeal.
What Stockdale noticed was that the people who persevered in those truly tough times were able to hold two seemingly paradoxical factors in mind simultaneously.
They were able to hold onto and focus on a hopeful future. They were able to, in Stockdale’s words, “retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties.”
Faith and focus on the future is one important element to moving the mountain. But, it is not sufficient.
You need to look ahead and have a robust sense of where you want to end up. But, just looking ahead ensures that you will trip over the insistent rocks of current reality that litter your path.
Don’t Be Optimistic
Stockdale distinguishes his attitude from simple “optimism” – and adds the other element to his paradoxical mindset – ” to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Being motivated by your vision is not enough to persevere through tough times. And while the challenges of your work environment will not come close to being the Hanoi Hilton, you will still face tough times and difficulties. You will still need to deal with the seemingly unyielding facts of your situation.
Just focusing on the vision leads to fantasy. Just focusing on the harsh facts of the situation leads to despair. Neither alone, is sufficient to move the mountain forward.
Move the Mountain
The secret is to face the facts of your situation without denial, excuses, or rationalizations AND AT THE SAME TIME maintain an inspiring vision of the future. Holding these two factors in mind is liberating. And, surprisingly neither perspective cancels the other out. It is not like a plus-one and a minus-one. Keeping these two views in mind doesn’t return you to zero.
That is the paradox.
By, keeping your vision and aspiration clear at the same time as you confront the harshest aspects of your current situation, you actually generate a tremendous creative energy. This energy is a live giving source of inspiration that feeds your commitment to create what matters most and fuels your ability to take action.
It is the energy that moves the mountain.
Questions for Reflection & Action
- What’s the vision that you’re pursuing?
- Where do you need to confront your current situation more directly?
- How can you hold both of these in mind at the same time?
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