Think: First humans developed language. Next, came the cunieform script and then the printing press. Both helped mankind share and disseminate knowledge. In time, the Internet was created and search engines helped us find and share knowledge on an almost unimaginable scale. In the emerging era of artificial intelligence, it is worth spending some time thinking about what’s coming next. This article can help : A Short History of Knowledge Technologies.
Think Better: The term “silo” is over-used in business, but that doesn’t mean the concept isn’t a real problem–it is. It would behoove the smart business leader to spend some “thinking time” on what could replace “silos” in business, education, and healthcare in the foreseeable future. This article, Flow by Design: A New Model for Business Success, can offer some insights.
Think Harder: Today, most people don’t give a second thought to jumping into an elevator — unless it’s overly crowded and people aren’t wearing masks. Those latter points aside, my point is that no one fears for their safety and no one to my knowledge is demanding a return of elevator operators. In the near future, the same could be true of you getting onto a pilotless plane. As this article suggests, the technology is getting better: Airbus Completes Autonomous Taxi, Take-off, and Landing Tests.
Think in Questions: Want to innovate better? Here’s a great question to ask: How do we make the act of asking Nature’s advice a part of everyday inventing? The question comes from Janine Benyus, a renowned expert in the field of biomimicry, and if you are intrigued by this idea, I encourage you to read this article, Biomimicry: Using Nature’s Perfect Innovation Systems To Design The Future.
Heart-Centered Thinking: The world is changing fast. This change won’t, however, be dictated by technology. It will also be influenced by philosophy, ethics and spirituality. Therefore, if we are headed for “civilization-level change” (which we are) it is incumbent upon all of us to spend some time thinking about how we might want to educate future generations. This article, Education for Civilization-level Change, offers a good place to start.
Until next week: Don’t stop thinking about the future! But also never forget “It is easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than think your way into a new way of acting“!
