The 4 Ways to Balance Short and Long-Term Action
A manufacturing client of mine has been struggling to get their shift supervisors to think long-term.
It seems like all they can do is keep their head above water.
From their perspective, many of the supervisors feel pressured on metrics like “on-time shipping” and “labor rates.” As a result, they mainly focus on the output of each shift and rarely make time for things that have a future payoff, things like:
- Coaching
- Delegation
- Connection
- Giving feedback
- Process improvement
Because the supervisors “don’t have time” for these future-oriented activities, production quality gradually suffers and workers remain unprepared to move into supervisor roles. Many of the workers will ultimately quit if they can find a better financial package elsewhere.
It’s a classic example of the tension between urgent and important.
How Mindset and Identity Drive Long-Term Thinking
Spending time with these supervisors reveals the differences in how individual leaders think and see themselves.
Some, for example, have a low sense of control or agency over their situation. Because they feel that they are part of a system driven by external forces, they simply shrug and say, “We are way too busy and expectations are too high.”
Then there are those who have a higher sense of control. They will say, “I know we’re busy but that’s an excuse. I can make time, even if it’s just a few minutes during the shift.”
Another key difference that’s evident from leader to leader is their sense of optimism about the future. Some believe, essentially, that this is the way it is and it’s not going to change. Those with a different mindset will say things like, “I believe we can improve ourselves and our methods.” And “If I move up in the company, I’ll need people to backfill my position.”
These two mindset continuums reveal the amount of positive action people will invest in the future.
Where do you fall on each axis in various parts of your life?
I realize that sometimes I’m a Fatalist, sometimes I’m a Cynic, sometimes I’m the Idealist, and sometimes I’m an Entrepreneur.
The Entrepreneur is the goal when it comes to balancing short-term and long-term opportunity. And balancing these competing tensions well requires Positive Action.
How Do We Foster Positive Action?
It’s important to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in ourselves and others because it mitigates reactivity, which, as I noted in my last post, might be the biggest barrier to relationships and influence.
In addition to the ideas in that post around differentiation, an entreprenuerial mindset requires three key mindsets:
1.Anti-Cynical. Even in the face of uncertainty, it’s crucial to cultivate a belief that your actions matter. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment or for someone to give you permission, the Entrepreneur actively starts, experiments, and continuously refines toward long-term outcomes.
2.Anti-Idealist. This means being realistic and resilient. It’s about being honest and improving when things don’t go well. It’s the unwavering conviction that a better future is possible. That’s what allows you to tolerate risk and repeated failures.
3.Anti-Fatalist. The Entrepreneur has deep-seated curiosity about how to find new and better ways with people and processes, and how to remain adaptable to all the pressures. The Fatalist just does their job. They aren’t a victim.
If you want to help yourself and others to be more of a long-term investor, even amid short-term pressures, find your way up and to the right in the Future Investor Matrix.
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