Summer is in full swing and the last thing anyone wants to think about is fiscal year planning. Who likes fast-forwarding ahead to January when flip flops and beach weather are top of mind? And yet, July is the typical timeframe for organizations to ramp up planning conversations about the coming year.

When it comes to transformation and agile practices, it can actually be quite difficult to think about what you’ll need 12 to 18 months out (I actually wrote an entire article about this tension, available here).   

That said, there ARE bigger picture things you can and should be talking about that extend beyond the next fiscal year. Rather than thinking of planning as a once-a-year item to check off the to-do list, transformation leaders should keep the future in their periphery at all times by adopting these mindsets:

1. What’s our aim?

   • As a transformation leader, you’re likely the person best suited to bring future-oriented thinking to the table and help your organization understand where the wind is blowing. To do this, it’s critical to have a pulse on external factors and disruptors. As we look ahead, do we need to consider the continuation of a pandemic? How about the newest curse word on everyone’s minds: recession? What are the emerging disruptors in your industry or adjacent that the company should be eyeing? Make sure that the context of the next 12-18 months is within a broader, longer-term lens that factors in all relevant possibilities.

2. What are our priorities?

   • Is your leadership team square on their priorities, and are they communicating them consistently? It’s more than just tossing around words like “growth” or “profits.” You must push the team to get specific. Do we mean organic growth? New market growth? What are our bets on how we might reach our aims? For example, telehealth underwent major changes during the course of the pandemic. In planning for the future, a great leader asks which elements of telehealth have staying power, and which need to shift so we’re ready for what’s next. If clear priorities haven’t been identified yet, leadership needs to step up to the plate to ensure that the team gets the information needed to move forward with focus.

3. Is our staff groomed for the future? 

   • You may have a vision for the future, but are your teams being cultivated to support that progression? Consider the small steps that can be made in the short term to push your product and delivery teams to skate to where the puck is going. Invest in training for groups or individuals. Send leaders to conferences and support their certifications. Think about your open head count as a way to staff for the team you need in the future, rather than the one you need today. Prioritize the health and cooperation of your C-suite. You don’t have to go all in, but it pays to start feathering in additional support to test the waters and build out capabilities. 

4. How’s our platform health?

   • Whatever the next thing is – recession, pandemic, disruptor, innovation – you need to make sure your data hygiene and tech stack are up to snuff. Why? Your long-term readiness for change depends on it. Let’s say you lead a data organization and your customer data platform is held together with duct tape, but you’re hearing from higher-ups that a merger is in the works. Imagine how many more snags you’ll hit trying to react when things get serious, versus ensuring that you’re running the latest and greatest. Intentionally carve out time for this work so your organization is ready for whatever the wind blows in.

Don’t let planning become merely a budgeting exercise that lives exclusively in spreadsheets. With these mindsets, you can start broad and slowly narrow in on interim steps to move toward your vision – and what you need to achieve it – with more intention.