Upon launching this blog a few years ago, I suggested that the purpose of these reflections was to help not-for-profit professionals ‘take care of the present’. See the header image above.

Many thought leaders have drawn attention to the central importance of the present moment. These observations have emphasised that the present moment is the point of decision and action. To change any future circumstance, the point at which we start making a difference is now.

Depending on the field or discipline in which they worked, thought leaders brought somewhat different perspectives to bear on the theme. Sensemaking, metacognition, temporal framing, narrative theory, and mimesis are just a few of those perspectives. This post offers some reflections on these perspectives, along with resources employing related concepts.

Temporal Sensemaking

Sensemaking utilises temporal perspectives by considering historical context, sequencing events, identifying patterns, projecting into the future, retrospectively making sense, adapting to disruptions, and engaging in real-time analysis. In organisational settings, it helps navigate changes and respond to challenges over time.

The sensemaking loop for a decision-making board is a dynamic process that integrates past, present, and future perspectives (see chart below). It begins with reflecting on past decisions and learning from outcomes. In the present, the board analyses the current situation, interpreting it in light of past experiences. Metacognition plays a crucial role, in fostering awareness and adaptation of mental models. The loop extends into the future, anticipating outcomes and engaging in scenario planning. Informed decisions are made, implemented, and become part of the past for continuous reflection. The process is iterative, incorporating feedback to adapt and learn, making the board more effective over time.

Temporal framing and narratives

Every story has a beginning, middle, and end – but so does every project and strategic initiative. This can be thought of as the ‘strategic narrative’.

The chart below highlights the importance of each of these three major stages. It also acknowledges that new beginnings emerge out of previous endings, and that when viewed across time, evolutionary trends can be identified.

Each strategic plan tells a story within a timeframe. The journey is mapped out over short-, medium-, and long-term time horizons informed by what the directors believe is achievable, or important to accomplish, within specified periods or by certain deadlines. Milestones map progress on the journey, and in the process, transform the roadmap into a clock.

[Image courtesy of Dall.E3]

Each of us tends to bring our own temporal orientation and biases to bear when interpreting situations and issues. The temporal framing of change according to a leader’s conservative or progressive values, and dominant focus (e.g. ‘golden ages’ past or ‘bright futures’ ahead), creates a perspective or lens through which they make sense of the matter to be decided. Dr. Elden Weibe offered an analysis of this kind of narrative framing in his 2010 paper ‘Temporal Sensemaking: The Manager’s Use of Time to Frame Organisational Change‘. Some key aspects of his thinking are summarised in the following chart.

Temporal framing may take several other forms, some of which are illustrated in the next chart below. Certain of these refer to temporal biases, which were the subject of another chart in the previous post in this series.

‘Six-sighted knowledge’ is another sensemaking concept that employs temporal perspectives. Previous posts have featured four-sight (hindsight, insight, oversight, and foresight), and the six-sighted model adds shortsight and outsight. See the chart below for brief explanations of each.

Similar to temporal metacognition, the six-sighted model invites users to look at a situation or issue from each of several time perspectives, rather than becoming fixed within any one of them.

Waiting to get started

In the real world, we can have every intention of getting on with the job, only to be frustrated by systems needing to boot, reboot, or worse, by endless ‘wheel of death’ gifs playing on our screens. These can also be seen as a metaphor for other kinds of delays that are beyond our control.

Dependencies of various kinds can delay progress on the achievement of our goals, and so effective maintenance is essential, along with contingency plans that allow redirection of energies to other productive activities while delays beyond your control are addressed by the relevant ‘experts’.

Three types of Mimesis

Paul Ricoeur‘s theories, particularly his philosophy of time and narrative, deal with different temporal orientations by emphasising the interplay between past, present, and future. Ricoeur reflected on the concept of ‘mimesis’, which refers to the representation or imitation of reality.

As noted in an earlier post, he identified three types of mimesis: prefiguration, configuration, and refiguration, each of which corresponds to a different temporal orientation.

Ricoeur’s concept of time is not just a linear progression but involves a dynamic relationship between these temporal dimensions. Memory and reflections on the past (refigurative thought) inform present decisions, while prefigurative thought helps envision and shape the future. The synthesis of these temporal dimensions occurs in the present through configurative thought, resulting in a holistic approach to effective decision-making.

This constant dialogue between past experiences, present considerations, and future aspirations enriches the deliberative process, making it more nuanced and comprehensive.

Reflective governance – taking care of the present

Reflective governance has been a recurring theme of this blog, with the MELD model referring to measurement, evaluation, learning, and direction modes of board operation. See especially: Reflective Governance: The MELD Model; The Curious Director; How Effective is your Board – Part 4; and Measuring NFP measures (among others).

These four MELD modes clearly align with temporal metacognition, involving as they do, the dynamic relationship between reflections on past and present circumstances, projections into future strategies, and configuration and implementation of plans and systems to execute those strategies.

Juxtaposing the MELD model with the six-sighted knowledge framework, while animating the dynamic (agile) mode switching involved in effective decision-making, the chart below may offer further insights for directors seeking to improve their governance performance.

See also:
Temperament and temporality
‘Time is of the essence’: Temporal factors in NFP productivity and efficiency
Fusing experience and expectation in decision-making
Frames, framing effects, and reframing
Sensemaking schemas, frames, and mental models
Making sense