Skip to main content

Chapter 27: Future Considerations and Phase Two Thinking

Chapter 27: Future Considerations and Phase Two Thinking - What Comes Next Without Confusing the Recommendation

Video: Future Considerations & Out-of-the-Box Ideas: Don't Confuse the Judges – Present Them the Right Way

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

  • distinguish the core recommendation from future opportunities
  • identify ideas that should not be pursued immediately
  • frame longer-term opportunities appropriately
  • prevent additional ideas from weakening the recommendation
  • use future considerations to demonstrate strategic thinking

Why This Matters

Sometimes your team identifies a genuinely interesting idea that is outside the scope or time horizon of the current recommendation. The temptation is to include it. This can create a problem. Judges can conflate future considerations with the actual recommendation, particularly due to the recency effect.

Discover Your Mad Skills Principle

Not every good idea belongs in today’s recommendation.

Strategic thinking includes knowing what not to do.

The "Not Now" Framework

Clearly separate:

  • What We Recommend Now
    • The core strategy.
  • What We Explore Later
    • Potential opportunities after the core strategy succeeds.

This distinction must be obvious.

Why Future Considerations Matter

A future consideration can demonstrate that your team has thought beyond the immediate decision. For example:

  • Phase 1: Establish the domestic business model.
  • Phase 2: Explore international expansion once the model is proven.

The second idea isn't part of today's recommendation. It is a potential future opportunity.

Coach's Lens

If your future idea is so important that the judges might think: "Why aren't they recommending this?" then you may have a problem. Either:

  • it belongs in the current solution;
  • it needs to be analysed more thoroughly;
  • or it needs to be clearly framed as future.

Don't introduce a new strategic direction in the final minute.

Common Mistakes

  • Too Many Future Ideas
  • You weaken your focus
  • Calling It "Phase Two" Without Logic
  • Explain what must happen first.
  • Introducing New Analysis
  • Future considerations shouldn't require an entirely new case.
  • Making It Sound Like Part of the Recommendation
  • Label it clearly.

Mad Skills Drill

Take your case. List every good idea your team decided not to pursue. Choose one that might have future potential. Complete:

  • Not now because…
  • Later, if [condition], we could…

That is strategic sequencing.

Chapter Summary

Strong strategy includes knowing what to do. Great strategy also recognises: What should we not do yet? Future considerations should expand the strategic horizon without weakening the core recommendation.

Key Takeaways

✓ Separate now from later.

✓ Don't confuse judges.

✓ Use conditions to justify sequencing.

✓ Keep future ideas high-level.

✓ Protect the clarity of the core recommendation.

Back to top