Think: Let’s face it, the track record of futurists with regard to predicting the future is pretty spotty. (This is just one reason why I never claim the ability to predict the future.) Having said that, futurists who possess both a good understanding of history and an ample dose of humility often have some profound insights regarding the future. This article, Futurists Have Their Heads in the Clouds, fits squarely within this camp and contains some astute and provocative observations.

Think Deeper: The pandemic has shifted where many people have decided to live. This transition, however, is causing other changes, including the urbanization of the suburbs. This article, Remote Work is Bringing the City to the Suburbs, may be of interest to anyone involved in urban planning. (One nugget I found interesting was this:  In the near future, instead of having one office building with ten floors, many businesses may opt to have one floor in ten different buildings in ten different cities.)

Think Faster: I often work with farm groups and agri-businesses. For years, I have been advising them to watch for “benchmarks” that may indicate electric vehicles are gaining a faster foothold in society than they anticipate. (This is because if EV’s take-off faster than expected, the impact on ethanol, corn prices, and land prices could be swift and severe.) To this end, Hertz’s order of 100,000 Teslas is a particular noteworthy benchmark. The time for some farmers to begin thinking about shifting a portion of their production away from corn may be fast approaching.

Think Different: Regardless of what business you are in, you should consider investing in unconventional talent. Why? The future is moving fast and organizations where most employees come from the same socio-economic and educational backgrounds are more likely to fall prey to convergent thinking than more diverse groups. To help you breakout of this problem and expose yourself to different ideas and new possibilities it pays to hire unconventional talent.

Think Harder: If you need an additional reason why you need to be thinking about cybersecurity, here it is: Bank Robbers Steal $35 Million by Deepfaking Boss’s Voice.

Afterthought: “Knowing how to look is a way of inventing.” — Salvador Dali