People uninterested in the future

When we invite people and teams to dream out as far as they can into the future some flourish in the invitation and some express disinterest. The disinterest can be because of a lack of familiarity with the process. It can be because they resist consideration of the future because they do not know how to manage complexity and uncertainty intrinsic in it.

The opportunity is to help them learn how, new questions, they can turn the discomfort of complexity and uncertainty into inspiration for the present. Until we help them learn this they will work without the advantage of inspiration from the future they would like to see possible. Until we help them learn this they will work with a sense of things happening to them in their work rather than them making things happen. This is the transition from helplessness to agency.

The latest science on motivation

In a recent piece, "There's a Scientific Reason Some People are More Motivated," John Rampton describes how highly motivated people have more active dopamine in their brains as they take on everyday tasks and challenges. One way is identifying what they look forward to. This releases the reward chemical dopamine sometimes more strongly than the actual achievement. It's also celebrating progress. Anyone can become more motivated.