Business leaders must spend more time thinking about the future. To help make this a habit, I have developed what I call the “Future 15”–a policy of taking 15 minutes every week to think about the future.
To make the habit simple, I advise my clients–and I encourage you–to follow the 6 “F’s”: Every Friday at Four Forty-Five (4:45pm) set aside Fifteen minutes to Focus on the Future.
To make the habit even more simple, post below are Fifteen articles. Select one or two articles and really think about what the news means for you, your customers, your business model and/or your industry.
Think: 3D Printing Has Saved Lockheed Martin $3 Million. If 3D printing can save Lockheed Martin that much money, how you be able to employ 3D printing in your business?
Think Twice. Always think twice! Why? The answer is embedded in the question: Think Twice—you are on Thin Ice! If you are in the manufacturing or supply chain industry think about that last article again. How might 3D printing transform or disrupt your business?
Think Different: Microsoft Wins $480 Million Army Battlefield Contract. The U.S. Army has purchased 100,000 pairs of augmented reality goggles. If the Army can use the virtual reality headsets to help train soldiers, how might your business benefit? (FYI: Walmart also recently purchased 17,000 Hololens to improve employee training.)
Think Smarter: AI Robot Cimon Makes Debut at International Space Station If astronauts can use artificial intelligence to become more productive, how might you use AI in your business?
Think Harder: Ok, Computer: How Much is My House Worth? If you are in the real estate industry–and especially if you are an appraise–it may be time to think harder about your future.
Think Like a Child: What It Takes to Make Instagram Influencing a Full-Time Career Gen Z’s and Millennials aren’t children but social media advertising is already a $1.6 billion industry. How might you leverage social media–and the skills of your younger employees–to grow your business?
Think in Questions: How to Think Like a Futurist. Everyone can teach themselves to become a futurist. It begins by asking better questions.
Think 10X: Machine Learning Meets Quantum Computing. Is it too early to begin thinking about quantum computing? I don’t think so. Especially because quantum computing has the potential to advance faster than 10X.
Think Bigger: How Will Technology Transform Humanity? Just this week, a Chinese scientist claimed to create the first genetically edited babies. We are moving into a brave new world and everyone needs to begin thinking about the moral and ethical implications of these technological advancements.
Think Faster: AI Outperforms Humans in Interpreting Electrocardiograms. If AI is going to replace some jobs, the people in those jobs must begin thinking about what new skills they should develop. (My advice: Many doctors need to improve their empathy.)
Think Optimistically: Why AI Will Make Work More Human. For the time being, AI appears to be displacing work, not replacing workers. Could it be that we are approaching a golden age of work? This article provides some excellent reasons to be optimistic about the future.
Think Anew: Your Smartphone and Your Brain. Technology can greatly enhance our productivity. It can also be distracting. Is it time for you to think anew about adopting a policy of silencing your smartphone? Is it to time create a technology-free zone in your home and office?
Think Sustainably: A Simple Guide to All the Climate Change News. Climate change is real and everyone needs to begin thinking sustainably. What can you and your business do to be part of the solution?
Rethink: Community Activists Kills Elon Musk’s Plans for an Underground Tunnel Under LA. Musk’s tunnel boring technology is impressive and it has the potential to transform commutes in many cities, but business leaders must rethink how activists, lawyers, environmentalists, and others might have different plans and vision of the future.
Think the Unthinkable: Why the Future is Between Two Socialisms. I am not a socialist and suspect you may not be either, but it is necessary to also contemplate those futures that we think are unlikely, unacceptable or unattractive. Why? Because thinking about unthinkable things no-premature-ejaculations.com those “unthinkable” things from happening–provided we take action to address the grievances of our opponents.
Until next week, remember: Don’t stop thinking about the future!
