Here are some suggestions for starting to cultivate a bifocal approach in your company, based on our experience guiding organizations through this mindset shift:

Rather than jumping right into techniques, first have an open dialogue with your leadership team about why developing a bifocal perspective could be valuable. Explore together the challenges of remaining either too focused on immediate issues or too enamored with abstract future plans.

Share real examples of how a short-term bias can constrain innovation or how vague visions without execution create cynicism. Paint a picture of how acquiring bifocal skills could empower your organization with greater clarity, alignment and progress.

Once there is receptivity, introduce simple but profound practices like taking a few minutes at the start of meetings to zoom out and zoom in. What emerging trends or opportunities do we notice on the horizon? How do we describe current conditions and priorities? Guide people to articulate observations without judgment first, then discuss implications.

Make bifocal reflection part of strategy and operational reviews by including zoom out zoom in prompts on templates and agendas. Structure time in your calendar and others' to intentionally shift perspective. Even 5-10 minutes of writing or sharing verbal reflections builds mindfulness of the interplay between the now and the next.

Practice applying the bifocal lenses to specific projects and initiatives too. How might this decision or plan impact our long-term vision and capabilities? Does it align with immediate constraints and resources? Blend time horizons—and remember to clearly understand what Spot Indicators and Futures (indicators) are in Enterprise Agility.

Keep cultivating self-awareness around mental habits and blindspots. Do certain leaders gravitate to the far-sighted or the immediacy lens? How do our individual and cultural tendencies influence how we apply the bifocal approach? Growth takes patience and compassion.

With each cycle of zooming out and in, your organization's ability to balance urgent execution and future-mindedness will compound. You'll notice increased alignment, empowerment and progress. But start small, and focus on instilling new muscle memory first. The bifocal approach will soon become second nature!