Great Managers Can Achieve Hero Status Using Their Horizon Scanning Superpowers

As a manager, you have the power to horizon scan in order to identify potential risks and opportunities. This ability can be a superpower for growth management, transformation, project management, and any entrepreneurial endeavors, as it allows you to be more agile and responsive to change.

What is horizon scanning?

Horizon scanning is the process of monitoring and analyzing trends, developments, and changes in the external environment to identify potential risks and opportunities. In its Guide for CDO Success in 2022, the Forbes Technology Council succinctly defines it as “…exploring your environment for signals of change.”  Horizon scanning is a process of looking for new ideas and developments that have the potential to impact your project, your business or your organization. By keeping an eye on the horizon, you can be more agile in responding to change and be better positioned to take advantage of new opportunities. Horizon scanning can also help you to identify personal and professional growth opportunities. By expanding your view of what's possible, you can leverage your curiosity, creativity and innovation mindset to deliver a greater impact in your work. Whether you're scanning the horizon for business or personal purposes, the process can help you to identify new possibilities and open up new pathways for success.

Horizon scanning is not about predicting the future. Rather, it's about understanding the present landscape, looking beyond the immediate situation, and identifying potential risks and opportunities that could impact your project or business.

How do I acquire and activate my superpower?

There are many ways to go about perfecting a practice of continuous horizon scanning. One method is to regularly reflect on past experiences, both good and bad, and asking questions such as:

• What went well?

• What could have been done better?

• How might similar situations be avoided in the future?

• Why is this important now for our success?

• What did we learn?

Another approach is to actively seek out new ideas and perspectives, through reading, conversation, and exposure to different cultures and environments. By constantly expanding our frame of reference across the horizon, we're more likely to spot potential problems and seize new opportunities when they arise.

Here are three steps to help you learn and power up your horizon scanning capabilities:

1. Be open to new ideas. Whether you're attending a conference or networking event, make sure to keep your mind open to new possibilities. You never know when you might hear about something that could be a game-changer for your project, your team goals, or your business. Stay open by maintaining heightened levels in your learning modes and your natural curiosity.

“…new problems will always arise… Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”

– John F. Kennedy 35th U.S. President

2. Be agile. In today's ever-changing business landscape, it's crucial to be able to pivot quickly. It was John F. Kennedy who stated in his 1961 address to the United Nations that, “…new problems will always arise… Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth,” alluding to the loss of creativity and to the degradation of our ability to learn. The foresight we can gain during the performance of our jobs is often limited and constrained by our tendency to ask no questions and blindly follow authoritative diction. If you're not open to and thinking about change, you'll likely miss out on big opportunities.

3. Be willing to grow. Personal and professional growth go hand-in-hand. If you're not growing, you're not moving forward. Make sure to invest in yourself and always be learning new things. This will help you expand your awareness and enhance your capabilities to avoid potential pitfalls. This open mindset will also position you for success down the road.

Of course, no one can foresee everything that might happen. But by regularly scanning the horizon, we can become much more aware of the potential dangers and opportunities that lie ahead. In doing so, we can differentiate ourselves from mediocrity and set ourselves up for better success in both our personal and professional lives.

How do I achieve hero status?

Use your horizon scanning capabilities to help you and your organization become more agile and responsive to change. Doing so will allow you to anticipate and prepare for challenges, seize opportunities, and ultimately create more value for your cornucopia of stakeholders.  So what are you waiting for?  Activate your horizon scanning superpower today.  See how you can achieve heroic results like save money, bring in more revenue, increase efficiencies, and virtually save the day for your business and for the constituents who value your outcomes.  

We work with you to elevate and engage your horizon scanning superpower to move the needle for your job, for your career, and for your overall success at work and in life.  As a leader in innovative coaching frameworks, Golden Point Executives empowers professionals like yourself by giving the boost needed for seeing future risks and opportunities and incorporating these insights into your current success path!  Why not schedule a complimentary strategic session right now to find out just how powerful your horizon scanning capabilities can be and to find out how far your superpower will take you?