“Future Pacing” – A Breakdown Of This Powerful Storytelling Hack
Ever need to explain something that doesn’t exist yet?
E.g. An idea or solution you’re proposing? An issue or roadblock that may materialise?
If yes, it can be hard to get people to *truly* appreciate it.
But that’s where >>> FUTURE PACING can come in.
It’s a technique from the world of storytelling.
Which helps people get a better appreciation of what the future holds.
To shift perspectives, push through resistance and influence change.
In other words, it’s incredibly powerful.🔥
The thing is you might actually be using this technique here and there.
But you might not realise you’re doing it, how powerful it is, or how much more you could be leveraging it moving forward.
That’s what I wanted to break down in this Article.
SO, WHAT IS ‘FUTURE PACING’?
It’s essentially painting a picture of the future.
But not just explaining it with bullet points. 🙅🏻♀️
It’s painting a picture of who will be doing what in the future.
So people can literally see it playing out in their minds.
This helps them better appreciate what the consequences will be of a certain action (or inaction if that’s what you’re trying to explain).
Which of course will persuade them to take / sponsor / fund / champion the appropriate action.
HOW DO YOU ‘FUTURE PACE’?
My current go-to line is this sentence starter:
“I want you to imagine…..”
OR
“Just imagine for a moment that…”
“Imagine if…”
I like it because I feel like it clears people’s minds in preparation for an incoming visual. It opens a loop that they’re curious to have closed.
I then play out that future state scenario.
i.e. I add would be doing ….in the future.
To really bring that future state to life.
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE
Imagine you have a new risk tool (see what I did there 😉).
If you wanted to help people (who are not across the processes in detail) truly understand the value this tool will bring, you’d have 2 core options:
Option 1 – Just using bullets
“This new risk tool will automate the sign-off process.
It will handle the following tasks:
- Stakeholder Approver Lists
- Email Drafts
- Follow-Ups
- Approval Email Filing
Which will help us save approx. 8hrs in the sign-off process.
As a result the risk team will be able to focus on more high value tasks”
Yes it’s to the point and may have a place in a short email.
However… if you’re sitting in a meeting with people who aren’t aware of exactly what’s involved now, it doesn’t really bring this to life very well.
Option 2 – By future pacing
“Just imagine for a moment that this risk tool has been implemented. When the risk team is trying to get sign-offs in the new world…..
Instead of having to figure out who the right stakeholders are, then sourcing and copy-pasting their email addresses, crafting up a tailored email that’s appropriate, sending it off, spending time tracking who has vs hasn’t responded, chasing people up for their approvals, and then remembering to save their approval emails centrally once approved.
The new tool will automate all of this. 😄
It will take away approx. 8 hours of hassle and overhead. Per risk assessment.
With this time back, the risk team can move onto more high value things. Such as having conversations with the business about how they can better support them in the future.”
I feel like with this version, people would truly appreciate what this change would mean moving forward.
7 ALTERNATIVE ‘FUTURE PACE’ SENTENCE STARTERS
If you don’t resonate with the “Imagine” sentence starter, here are 7 alternative ways you can start your future pace with.
- PICTURE – Picture this…
- VISUALISE – I want you to visualise…
- SEE – Here’s what I see happening…
- PLAY OUT – Let’s explore what might play out…
- SCENARIO – Here’s a scenario…
- TIME-TRAVEL – Let’s time-travel for a moment…
- TRANSPORT – Transport yourself into the future. It’s ….
THE KEY TO FUTURE PACING
The main thing is that you create a mental picture in people’s minds.
So they’re almost experiencing a snippet of the future state.
Which is why the sentence starters above are important. As they help you to generate something people can see/imagine/visualise in their minds.
DOES IT REALLY WORK?
My clients love this technique. It’s simple, but so easy to integrate into your way of communicating.
In the words of a workshop participant years ago:
IN SUMMARY
Next time you’re trying to help people understand what the future will hold (whether that’s good or bad), don’t just rattle off bullet points.
Remember >>> FUTURE PACING.
Paint a picture of the future with “I want you to imagine” ….
Or use one the other 7 options I shared.
It will elicit more emotion and generate more buy-in + interest from your stakeholders. ✌🏼
Thanks for reading and subscribing. If you think others would benefit from this Article, please share it with them.
Cheers,
Emily
Hey, I’m Emily Edgeley, a Public Speaking Coach for the Tech industry.
Since 2017 I’ve transformed the lives of thousands, by helping them to communicate with more power. I’ve run 300+ group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and helped more than 100+ others give their first ever Conf talk.
I’m on a mission to help anyone in Tech communicate with more clarity, impact and confidence. To boost their brand, career and influence.
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