Consider Doing It in Reverse

Given that people naturally walk forward, it is somewhat surprising how many fitness trainers advise people to walk backward to activate more muscle groups. “Retro-walking” is now a popular trend in fitness circles. 

Who knew doing something in reverse could be so beneficial? 

Many leaders employ a reverse approach when planning to achieve a long-term goal. Thinking strategically from the end point and working backward, identifying the steps the team needs to take to accomplish the goal, can prove highly insightful. 

The same is true with career planning. Deciding the end goals of a career — the roles and accomplishments one desires to achieve before hanging up the cleats — and then working backward to identify the skills and positions one needs to get there can create much-needed clarity. 

Operating in reverse also benefits skill development. Of course, it’s essential to know the actions and practices needed to advance any skill. Someone who already possesses the skill will know what order of sub-skills must be mastered. Engaging such an expert in looking backward can be a real eye-opener. 

Working on later-stage actions and practices now can sometimes catapult skill to a new level. As many higher performers know, the best way to identify those critical sub-skills is to work backward through the learning process. 

Of the many reverse approaches to improvement and planning that aid effectiveness, perhaps none is more powerful than reviewing what went right and wrong along the way to a quality decision. 

Starting from the outcome of the decision and reviewing the sub-decisions in reverse provides a laser-like focus on what really contributed to the end result. Knowing what sub-decisions to replicate in the future can be a huge asset. 

Reverse thinking and reverse doing are worth considering in nearly every process and desired outcome. The clarity provided can be a game-changer. 

Better yet, because so many never operate in the reverse, it can give leaders and performers an edge. Let’s think about that edge in reverse to clarify why.