The economic meltdown looks like it will destroy many individuals’ dreams. It’s hard not to look at it that way. But what about our progress as a global society? What can we expect to happen to our plans and dreams?
The crisis will slow progress in some areas, and will delay many of the things people [...]
Local, regional, national, global and organizational recovery depends on actions we take now. We cannot wait to begin new strategic initiatives and we cannot descend into the purely tactical and expect to succeed in the long term.
Everything is changing, and many things are called into question. This is a critical moment to move our focus [...]
ForesightCulture.com is now one year old. I launched this blog as a place to share insights on using foresight successfully. I write it for people in organizations, not for the community of professional futurists, but gratifyingly, my futurist colleagues have read and commented (positively) on my work here too.
Aside from the “who I am” and [...]
I studied Southeast Asian Archaeology in college around 1980 under Chet Gorman. I was a huge admirer. Since he took his coffee black, so did I, and I do to this day. Chet taught us up close and personal details about ancient life in the valleys and caves of Thailand. As I understand it, on [...]
I spent a little time on a beach beside the Gulf of Mexico the other week. It was beautiful, and sitting there, I felt totally optimistic about the future. But I also felt that optimism on a day’s visit to Sea World with my son. The people there were friendly, happy, reasonably healthy, and engaged [...]
I have created a page here of quotes I like that are in the spirit of better foresight. It’s an idiosyncratic thing to collect quotes, so you may find some surprises here and some favorites missing. I’d love to hear about sayings and wisdom you like, and will be adding to this set. The page [...]
No one is “normal.” I count realizing that about myself as a useful bit of self-knowledge, and I think in my work in foresight, it is critical.
First, by being different, we each have the chance to bring a fresh perspective, and different information to what we do. If you are in an organization that constantly [...]
You will note on the pages menu to the right a new page: The 27 habits of highly effective futurists.
This is my thinking–and it’s an evolving set–on the principles of good foresight. There are already more than 27, but I like the sound of that number. I’d love to hear what you think about the [...]
A potential trap in exploring the future is to become impatient with the present. Some of my futurist friends suffer from this, especially the ones with a close focus on technology. I fight it routinely.
Understanding the potential for progress can leave us disappointed or even disgusted with what we have now. We can come to [...]
My great friend, Mary Jane Naquin, a futurist with Informed Futures, Houston, understands how to break out of conventional thinking, and discover new things. Some years ago, she presented a parable to the opening session of the World Future Society annual assembly. I don’t remember the full story of Mary Jane’s parable, but the [...]
