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How to Navigate the Known and Unknown in Your Business
News·Guillaume Wiatr·Mar 13, 2025· 2 minutes

The Big Idea

Stepping away from daily operations to think about the future is critical. But how you approach visioning matters. Too rigid, and you risk frustration. Too vague, and you lose focus. The key? Balance structure with openness.

What’s Happening

When you think about your business’s future, you move from the known (what’s predictable and repeatable) to the unknown (new possibilities, risks, and opportunities). The way you navigate this transition determines your success.

Why It Matters

Engagement & Alignment – Involving your team in visioning makes the future theirs too. People commit to what they help create.
Motivation vs. Disillusionment – Setting rigid targets in an uncertain space can backfire. Missing unrealistic goals erodes morale.
Exploration vs. Execution – Business growth isn’t just about processes; it’s about curiosity, experimentation, and discovery.
What to Do
Think in Hypotheses, Not Absolutes – Instead of “We will hit $X in revenue,” try, “We believe this strategy will lead to $X, and here’s how we’ll test it.”
Identify Gateways to Growth – Leverage existing wins, relationships, and processes as low-risk ways to explore new opportunities.
Manage Resources, Not Just Outcomes – Be clear on what you can invest—time, money, skills—without expecting perfect predictability.
Bottom Line


Your business exists in two worlds: the known and the possible. Success isn’t about forcing certainty into the unknown—it’s about building bridges, testing ideas, and staying open to what emerges.