Launch a Moonshot: Shaping Vision for Diversity & Inclusion
by Julian S. Newman, Founder/CEO
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” - President John F. Kennedy May 25th, 1961
When it comes to the Diversity and Inclusion in some organizations, the focus is on not doing bad things.
Don’t say this.
Don’t say that.
Don’t offend anyone.
Don’t get sued.
Now while this aspect of organizational diversity and inclusion has its place, by building strategy based solely in the negative, we just get to zero when goals are accomplished.
Zero is not enough.
Not ever enough.
Rather than simply focusing on being in compliance, let’s look to creating environments where each and every person can achieve the highest levels of their human potential.
What would it look like to leverage the collective company-wide talent of every influencer and stake holder?
How would that change the trajectory of your business?
This past week the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of first moon landing.
What seems commonplace now, was considered next to impossible 50 years ago.
Status quo was launching satellites into space, achieving much smaller missions, and wishing one day it might be different.
But somewhere, somehow a group of people inspired by a president decided good enough just wasn’t good enough.
So NASA launched a moonshot to take a literal walk in the moon.
Question: How can your company transcend orbit and move into uncharted space?
Answer: Stage a Future-Cast strategic design experience.
A Future-Cast is a planning event where you discover the future vision blueprint for your company.
Forecasting + Imagination + Strategy = Future-Cast
It combines the 3 elements listed above and is framed about 3 targeted questions.
Question 1: What is Your Moonshot?
What does a extraordinary world bending and history making future look like for your company?
Status quo isn’t allowed and playing safely inbounds is firmly out of bounds in this experience. Jim Collins in Good to Great called these BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Whatever you and your team decide to call them is fine. The titles are not nearly as important as the grand vision you imagine together.
Question 2: What is the Focus?
Narrowing your moonshot to a laser razor sharp focus brings crystal clear clarity and creative tension to the vision and exponentially expands the impact when goals are reached. The astronauts 5 decades ago weren’t just going to space. They weren’t just looking for a random planet or star. They were locked in on moonwalking long before moonwalking was cool. Being a generalist isn’t advantageous while engineering a moonshot. Concrete specifics are your currency of making the invisible become visible.
Question 3: What is the Timetable?
By putting a time frame on your moonshot, you bring urgency to your efforts. Open ended goals are almost never met. But when a ticking clock is attached to a focused moonshot, mountains move and things get done. And if goals aren’t met in the predetermined time frame, the finish line can always be adjusted to accommodate unexpected challenges, setbacks, budget problems, etc. In President John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Speech” quote listed above, he put a specific time frame in place to organize and measure progress.
When it comes to creating diverse teams and inclusive environments, as well as developing next level leaders we must have an appetite for the unprecedented.
Prevention isn’t good enough.
Let’s move the needle and stir the imagination.
Let us dream, expand, and make the world a much more beautiful place.
If your organization needs to get unstuck, is experiencing a loss of focus, needs revitalization or needs a broader vision for Diversity and Inclusion, Culture Creative would be honored to facilitate a Future-Cast tailor-made for your initiatives and company context.