Blue sky thinking and the value of working to answer the question, "What if we could do anything?"

In the strategy and planning sessions we build into engagements with our clients, we set aside time for what we like to call "Blue Sky Thinking." The point being that since we know there are many barriers and challenges to overcome in working to execute our strategy, we think it's important to take time to pause and consider the ideal state (usually thinking about an 18-month timeframe in doing so). The notion being that we should give ourselves permission to be totally positive about what the future could look like.

The approach usually frees us up to consider some truly open-minded and counter-intuitive frames for the future. This article is useful in that it validates the notion of blue sky thinking and provides three observations for why working to create that space can have a profound impact for scenario planning. It was originally posted on HBR - but we're including the Mindful link because the editorial context could introduce you to a number of useful mindfulness resources. Enjoy.