Anticipatory Images Drive Action

Definition

The Anticipatory Principle holds that all organizations move toward the images of the future held by their members. These images—sensory-rich descriptions of potential, narrative accounts more than pictures—are formed in conversation and reside in the informal communication networks of the organization. Success or failure depends in part on whether those collective images are fear-based and constraining or inspiring and expansive. Clear, sustaining, and motivating images mobilize powerful positive action; fear-based images incite panic and defensive behavior.

In the Book

The book grounds this principle in both history and theory. Sociologist Frederik Polak observes that "at every level of awareness, from the individual to the macro-societal, imagery is continuously generated about the 'not-yet.' Such imagery inspires our intentions, which then move us purposefully forward." The 1929 run on American banks was driven by fear-based images of collapse; the 1960s space race was mobilized by inspiring images of reaching the moon. Postmodern theorist William Bergquist contends that "the continuation of any society depends in large part on the presence in the society of a sustaining and motivating image of its own collective future."

The United Religions Initiative exemplifies this principle. When founders originally planned to call the global interfaith organization simply "United Religions" (paralleling the United Nations), it attracted two hundred fifty people to dialogue about its vision. But the image appeared to lack humility. When the founders shifted to "United Religions Initiative," something unexpected happened: even before the organization officially existed, people began taking action to build interfaith bridges and foster peace-building in their own communities. The image of an "initiative"—of always initiating—inspired action on behalf of an organization not yet created. Later, when founders discussed whether to drop "Initiative" from the name after the charter signing, they realized the very image of continuous initiation was what kept the organization alive and prevented it from becoming stale.

Why It Matters

This concept reveals a mechanism often invisible in strategic planning: that the informal stories and images people hold about the organization's future exert more influence on daily choices than formal plans do. It explains why rebranding, vision statements, or strategic pivots often fail—they address the formal narrative while the informal images remain unchanged. Conversely, it shows why Appreciative Inquiry's emphasis on Dream activities and Provocative Propositions works: by surfacing and collectively authoring images of the future, the organization synchronizes its informal narrative with its formal direction. This has applications beyond organizations: in education (what images of the future do students hold?), in personal development (what images of possible self drive daily choices?), and in community change (what collective images animate civic initiative?).