To be future-fit

A lot of business leaders make the call to be future-fit.

Future-fitness is a well-worn response to rapid change and category fracture that's redefining many industries, the command is meant to inspire an organisational transformation that results in an improvement of an organisation's future relevance.

But what exactly is future-fitness?

First of all...a clear definition and understanding of the term: future-fit.

A future-fit business is one that is mentally-primed, structured and equipped to deliver compelling value into a future market demand that is emerging.

A future-fit business is fully aware that the past is fading and is 100% prepared to let go of 'best practice', has foresight as to what's coming next and has the agency to do something about it.

Start-ups are future-fit.

A start-up sees the future emerging...builds the right systems and processes from scratch, leverages the right kind of optimistic mindset to hunt down a visionary picture of the future, without much concern for the uncharted territory that needs to be navigated to achieve their dream.

Start-ups are lauded for blind optimism, curiosity, ignorance and insight; the same key ingredients of a future-fit organisation.

So if a future-fit business is essentially a start-up; what then would we call a corporation?

Lumbering systems of aging tech stacks, layers of industry 'experts' that have deep industry know-how, a spider's web of political relationships that are intertwined with personal agendas and a mandate to serve the interests - almost exclusively - of shareholders rather than a focus on customers.

Calling for future-fitness is easy. Future-fitness itself requires a lot of letting go by those who already have.