2025 is Around the Corner! Why a Future Focus is Critical for Organizational Design and Culture

As we step into Q4, it is essential that your executive leadership maintains a strong focus on finishing this year with success, while also setting aside time for planning the future. A Future Focus is the key to ensuring your organization thrives both in the short term and long term. It is not just about operational efficiency; it is about creating a robust framework that balances both organizational design and culture.

At the heart of a successful Future Focus lies a simple, actionable plan. Let us break down the key considerations for developing a 2-Page Business Plan that drives clarity and results:

1. Our Why
2. Guiding Principles
3. Impact Goal
4. Commit to a Niche
5. Clear One- & Three-Year Plans
6. Clear Quarterly Plan

How do we develop these key elements? Simply put, achieving a clear Future Focus starts with a sharp vision and a strategic plan. For those craving more details, we will walk through the steps here:

Step 1 – Our Why is a statement that serves as a North Star, providing purpose and direction for your organization. It goes beyond what you do—it explains why you do it. A compelling Why inspires stakeholders, aligns actions, and helps you stay resilient through challenges.

Example of a Weak Why: Blockbuster's mission was to provide easy access to physical movie rentals. It did not evolve with the market, and the company could not adapt to the rise of digital streaming.

Example of a Strong Why: Apple's "Why" is reflected in its mission to deliver the best user experience through innovative products, services, and software. Apple does not just make technology—it reshapes how people interact with technology, fostering loyalty and creating lasting impact. This clarity has allowed Apple to stay ahead in a competitive market.

Step 2 – Our Guiding Principles provide the values and beliefs that guide every decision, behavior, and action within your organization. They are the compass that ensures you stay aligned with your Future Focus. These principles help shape your organizational culture, creating a cohesive environment where everyone understands the standard for behavior and decision-making.

Apple, for example, is deeply guided by its values of innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to making technology that improves lives. These principles allow Apple to build trust with customers, employees, and partners, and maintain its place as a leader in technology innovation.

Step 3 – Create a Five or Ten-Year Impact Goal, this should be tied to how you measure your why statement. This gives clarity of purpose, aligning your long-term vision with measurable milestones. This goal not only motivates your team but also fosters innovation as you explore creative solutions to meet your future objectives. No one comes to work to make us money, we all want to be part of something larger than just ourselves!

For Apple, the long-term vision is centered on delivering cutting-edge products that enhance user experiences while being environmentally responsible. Apple’s commitment to sustainability—by using renewable materials and reducing carbon footprints—reinforces its broader goal of creating technology that betters lives while caring for the planet.

Step 4 – Commit to the Niche

“Niches bring riches.” When you focus on a specific market or demographic, you can better meet customer needs, foster loyalty, and command higher profit margins. Apple has exemplified this by consistently committing to premium products that cater to users looking for quality, simplicity, and innovation.

From the iPhone to the MacBook, Apple’s focus on creating seamless ecosystems of user-friendly devices has allowed the company to dominate its niche, despite competition from other tech companies. By staying true to its niche, Apple delivers products that keep customers loyal and willing to pay a premium for the experience.

Stay away from wasting time, money, and focus on a buck shot approach that attracts people you cannot or should not serve. This will allow your time, money, and focus to be spent executing with excellence for your niche.

Step 5 – Set Clear Three Year (Long Term) & One Year (Short Term) Plans, as having a Three-Year Plan gives you a long-term roadmap ensuring your tracking towards your impact goal, while a 1-Year Plan helps your executive leadership execute effectively in the short term. While you will not forecast the plan in your planning session, shortly after the planning session your three-year plan should be forecasted at least quarterly, and your annual plan should be forecasted monthly and quarterly. Both are crucial for setting priorities, allocating resources, and staying focused on your ultimate goals.

For example, Apple's long-term strategy has focused on creating interconnected hardware and software that provide a superior user experience, from the seamless integration between iPhones, iPads, and Macs, to the development of services like iCloud and the App Store. In the short term, Apple constantly innovates within these platforms, launching yearly updates and products that build on their existing ecosystem while meeting new customer demands.

Step 6 – A Quarterly Plan

Each quarter, executive leadership should focus on up to five projects that are critical to achieving the 1-Year Plan. This allows leadership to concentrate on the initiatives that will truly move the needle and prevent resources from being spread too thin. Prioritizing key projects quarterly ensures that efforts are aligned, momentum is sustained, and progress is measurable.

Apple exemplifies this by consistently rolling out incremental product updates and launches, such as new iPhone models or software updates. These quarterly milestones keep the company in the public eye, driving sales and maintaining brand relevance.

Conclusion

Creating a Future Focus is about establishing a clear roadmap with actionable steps to balance organizational design and culture. By understanding Our Why, adhering to Guiding Principles, setting an ambitious Impact Goal, committing to a Niche, and crafting One- & Three-Year Plans, organizations can align both their immediate actions and long-term strategies. When combined with focused quarterly execution, this approach creates a culture of clarity, accountability, and innovation that fuels long-term success.

We should be able to capture this Future Focus in two pages or less, sharing it with our team in late December or early January. It is equally important to update and share this focus with everyone after each quarterly planning session throughout the year. Doing so will ensure we are all aligned with the Vision shared in our Future Focus to execute with the highest level of excellence, maximizing the potential of the resources we have.

By keeping your organization aligned and informed, you can ensure you are not only surviving but thriving — by staying true to your mission while continually adapting to a rapidly changing world.