Predicting – Picking a Better Path

In EOS, we use the term, predicting, not in the way you might think. We don’t mean the ability to foretell what’s going to happen in the future. I have yet to meet someone who can do that. Instead, we use the term in the context of envisioning and planning.

In simple practice, predicting is picking a path

Predicting is considering all the information we have in front of us, and deciding what we are going to do. It’s not about picking the “right” or “best” path. The prospect of having to be right or meeting the high standard of best can paralyze us. The real skill has to do more with considering our current options and picking a good path that appears to take us where we want to go. Again, in simple practice, it’s often just picking a path that’s better than the one we are on.

We do long-term predicting by looking 90 days or farther out and deciding where we want to go with our team – a place that’s better than where we are today. As we move towards that destination, in the short-term, we encounter obstacles (issues) that require some course adjustments. Again, we consider our options and pick a good path (action steps) to keep us moving towards our long-term destination.

Sometimes we make envisioning and planning harder than it needs to be. Keep picking better paths to better places, and enjoy your journey.

Download our V/TO tool to help you with your long-term predicting.