The concept of unlearning might seem pointless to some people. So, too, might the idea of doing something that makes you uncomfortable. The surprising thing is this: If you do something out of your comfort zone, it widens your circle of comfort. It this same way, unlearning enhances your awareness of how much you don’t…

#1: In an attempt to appease consumer unease over the growing use of facial-recognition technology, a handful of retailers will admit prior to “Black Friday” that they have deployed the technology during the 2012 Holiday season but will claim they are using it only as a “safety tool” to monitor crowds and prevent unruly shopper…

It is conventional wisdom that if you want to achieve your goals you need to “raise the bar” or “shoot for the stars.” This works in some cases but I believe a more effective method is to “lower the bar” and start easy. For example, if you want to start a new exercise regimen try…

As humans we like to believe we're good at seeing the whole picture. But, as I suggested in this piece, most of us are not. This is particularly true in business. Most managers focus relentlessly on serving the customer, making incremental improvements to core product or services, or finding yet another margin-saving efficiency. There is…

If you are a manager and want to position your company or organization to succeed in the future, I'd suggest changing the normal managerial question of "How do I get more out of my employees?" to "How do I get the best out of my employees?" Why? because passion, energy, creativity and innovation aren't easily…

Dear Readers: As you will have noted, my website has undergone a transformation. My hope is to make the site more user-friendly and easier for you to navigate. I also hope to make it more conducive to meaningful conversations and interactions. To this end, if you have improvements or suggestions for the site I invite…

Wonderful interview with Ray Kurzweil on the Colbert Report. Fun futurist fact: “A teenager in Africa today has access to more information than the President of United States had 15 years ago.” The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Ray Kurzweil www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive…

(Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, 20/20 Foresight: A Futurist Looks Ahead to the Ten Trends That Will Shape the World of 2020, that I am writing with the able assistance of fellow futurist Simon Anderson, host of www.futur1st.com. This chapter covers how unexpected events and “unknown” unknowns might adversely…