[Originally posted on positiveincline.com September 24 2013, restored to blog.agendashift.com February 13, 2018. Except for the first one, links are to web.archive.org.]

Last week’s post Stand up meeting, thinking tool, leadership routine included this line:

In what ways do the activities of this stage help us anticipate what will be needed?

“Anticipate” and “will”: two very future-focused words.

That emphasis on the future is captured very nicely in the closing words of the Toyota Customer Promise that I found displayed on a plaque behind the customer service desk at my local Toyota dealership:

…anticipating the mobility needs of people and society ahead of time

Think of a service on which you personally rely. Wouldn’t you be delighted if they anticipated your needs ahead of time? What process innovations would be needed in order for that to happen? How could that thinking be translated into your workplace, and how would it then be sustained?

These are important questions. They’re questions of customer focus, of flow, and of leadership, the three direction values. They’re important because an organisation that works on its capability to anticipate and meet future needs is a fitter organisation, and it’s the fittest that thrive.

There’s more where this came from! My book is going to be a while, but in the next few weeks you can hear me speak on Kanban’s values at:

• Lean Kanban France (#lkfr13), 3rd & 4th October in Paris. As well as my talk, I will on a panel discussing portfolio Kanban.
• The inaugural Lean Kanban UK (#lkuk13), 31st October & 1st November in London.
• Lean Kanban Central Europe (#lkce13), 4th & 5th November in Hamburg

Unfortunately I must report the postponement of the UKSMA annual conference at which I was to give the keynote. I’ll mention it here when it has been rearranged.