Binge Thinking

Forward Thinking - new thoughts for the future - Ros Palmer

I first came across Futurology in the 90s with the discovery of Faith Popcorn and the Popcorn Report.  There was a wave of future thinkers at that time and then it seemed to peter off as a management discipline.  And now, we all find ourselves in the middle of challenging times, there is a new wave of commentary about how we need to keep an eye to the future to ensure success.  Two reports have really struck a chord here:  'The Forward Thinking Report' from the Institute of Directors and Barclays Bank plc and 'Web 2.0 and the evolution of Instructional design' from Inside Learning Technologies.

Whilst focusing on the culture of the Internet, the latter article is thought provoking as it summarises how our experiences in the virtual world are influencing our decisions and thought processes in the actual one.  The lessons include how small firms don't need to reach critical mass to enjoy economies of scale as: "five-person companies can use Salesforce.com for customer relationship management.  Expect to see a learning equivalent soon".  Also, how the power of networks prove that collaborative 'team' thinking is powerful.  

Which brings me to the Forward Thinking Report.  It is a blueprint for harnessing the power of your people.  It includes fascinating advice that can only be considered properly if we have a mindset that even in present times, when getting to the end of the financial quarter seems daunting for many, that we do need to seriously plan for the future.  As Professor Graeme Leach, Chief Economist and Director of Policy, IoD says: "Never in the history of the IoD has the global marketplace appeared so complex and so uncertain.  But this shouldn't be an excuse to run away and hide.  Companies need to actively engage in new and imaginative ways of analysing the future."
 
This excellent report takes a look at forward thinking in the UK, examines the barriers to forward thinking (lack of time and too busy worrying about today mostly), analyses forward thinking by sectors, regions and company size, examines the practicalities of implementing forward thinking across an organisation and then gives practical steps that businesses can implement immediately to create their own 20/20 vision for the future.  There are interesting case studies and easy to understand charts and data throughout the report plus often obvious advice such as that to add value, the results of forward thinking have to be integrated into strategy and used by the right people.
 
Not surprisingly, the report concludes that small to medium sized companies face more challenges when it comes to forward thinking.  But we can't afford not to think and plan ahead can we?   There is so much at stake now in preparing for the next stage of the economic cycle and planning for success.  The report concludes that: "Forward Thinking needs innovative, creative people to think differently about business processes and plans as well as time to look further ahead than one to three years." 
 
We at Go MAD Thinking are always thinking and planning ahead and we are using the tools suggested in the report to plan in an ever more innovative and open minded way. 
 
What is your business doing?  Can we help you open your mind to make measurable differences now and in the future? 
 
Lots to think about and remember that "questions are the answer" and making sure that we all have the talent, tools, resources, processes and procedures and time to prepare for tomorrow and beyond is more crucial than ever before.