Temporary vs. Posterity Decisions

A Posture of Posterity

Earlier this year, I was approached by a colleague who created a fundraiser for a local youth development program, Pearls for Teen Girls, where she was selling artwork with quotes from women leaders.  Everyday Women's Wisdom was a project where Dominique Samari asked 30 women leaders to answer the question, “What is one piece of wisdom that has guided or supported your journey as a woman?

I personally found a print that really resonated with me with a quote from Milika Miller. I didn’t know Milika at the time but have since met her.  Here’s what she said:

“Most things in life are temporary. Temporary thoughts, feelings, losses, wins. Because most things in life are temporary, I try not to dwell on any of it – good or bad. The next moment is always coming.”

This was the same advice my mother had given me over the years as I faced challenges or setbacks on my own personal and professional path. I don’t know what the future holds so I might as well roll with it! This has served me well and helped me move forward on my path.  However, let’s not ignore the need for longer-term plans.

In my work as a consultant, helping a client design a 5-year strategic plan seems like a long time.  Could it be 3 years instead? What will you accomplish? What are the metrics?

Let’s consider the juxtaposition between our daily lives being “temporary” yet meeting our ambitions for our families, companies, community, and world by taking a posture of posterity.

I think of posterity as future generations picking up something I laid down or left behind.  Posterity is different than legacy.  You could leave your family a financial legacy, you could have been a legacy candidate in college or you could be in charge of retiring a legacy software system.  All three examples are very different.  

Posterity also should not be confused with prosperity.  You can clear-cut a rainforest to make a lot of money but what have you done for posterity? Stifled it? Ruined it? The subjects of wealth, legacy, and posterity are intertwined but they are uniquely designed and defined.

The life of a process consultant, BEING a process consultant, requires us to approach clients with an adaptive, iterative lens.  We are trained to consider the short- mid- and long-term repercussions of decisions.  We dig deep into the Why, Who, What, When, Where, and How of teams, departments, programs, initiatives, and whole organizations.   Quite often it is tempting to take shortcuts, and clients might feel the pressure to do so because something “needs to get done” this year, this quarter…What if we took the long view?

As my colleague, consultant and author Mark L. Vincent says, we should plan ahead for “Our grandchildren’s grandchildren.”  That’s posterity. That’s magnanimity.  Indigenous people go even further with the 7^th Generation Principle to consider how our words and actions today will affect people and the Earth seven generations from now.

How would your company or organization look different if you had a “long view” committee that was focused on the generational impact of what you do? It wouldn’t be pressured by investors, donors, or competitive department heads but could exist as a posterity compass for the organization. 

What are the long-term benefits, consequences, and impact of your strategies?  Would the company survive a change in leadership?  What are the possible changing scenarios in your industry and how might you respond to the unknown unknowns?  Yes, the immediate work, products, and services need to get done, but in what areas are you willing to take and absorb risks for posterity’s sake – giving a gift to future generations you will never meet? 

If you are ready to dig deep into questions like these, I am happy and equipped to walk alongside you on your journey, whether it is an immediate need or practicing a posterity mindset.

Cheers to the long view, however hard it might be!

Kim Stezala
Design Group International
Senior Partner

The core competencies of process consulting have been developed and are taught by the Society for Process Consulting. If you are interested in receiving your credential in process consulting please visit our website.