Podcast
A little bit Foward
controversial questions that invite listeners to think more deeply.
A Little Bit Forward is not really a podcast in the traditional sense. There are no guests, no advice, and no tidy answers. But let’s face it, although we crave advice and answers they are rarely fulfilling, they often just reinforce whatever it is you want to hear.
So instead of answers I’m offering questions. These questions are intended to be a little bit forward, a little bit challenging, perhaps bordering on controversial. Not because I want to court controversy but because controversy suggests there isn’t broad agreement and there is potentially something to be learned.
In this episode, Simon explores the idea that some conversations are being held in the wrong timeframe. Drawing on the different perspectives offered by the past, present, and future, he reflects on how each frame shapes the way we approach difficult questions. The past can become a place of blame and finger-pointing as we try to understand who was responsible for what. The present often centres on action, but can also be dominated by self-preservation and concerns about how decisions will affect us personally.
The future, however, offers something different. It is a space of possibility. A space that is imagined rather than fixed. Research suggests that when we think five to seven years ahead, we begin to view that future almost from a third-person perspective. The blame, defensiveness, and self-protection that can accompany difficult conversations often start to dissolve, creating room for different kinds of discussions and different kinds of answers.
Simon also introduces the futurist practice of back-casting. If we can imagine the future we want to create, we can then work backwards to identify the actions we need to take today.
The question for reflection is this: What difficult conversations are you currently having that might be better had in the future? Are those conversations focused on the past, the present, or the possibilities of the future?
As always, the episode closes with five minutes of silence. Time to sit with the question, notice what comes up, and gently move A Little Bit Forward.
