Seeing Into the Future

One of the tricks to creating an enduring company is to spot trends before your competitor does, but thats easier said than done.

In the book Think Like a Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesnt, and Whats Next, author Cecily Sommers notes a number of key attributes that could make your company more innovative.

First, it helps if you can drop your assumptions and see the market without preconceived notions. If you can successfully lose any personal agenda or a weve always done it that way mentality, you will be freer to recognize emerging opportunities.

Be curious. Dont get frustrated by things you dont understand. View them as opportunities to grow.

Ask the right questions. The right order of questions, according to Sommers, is why, what and, finally, how. Spend enough time with each question before moving on to the next, but be comfortable with ambiguity too. Not having all the answers is part of the journey to the future.

And do all this in an atmosphere of collaboration and constructive criticism. Feeling judged kills inventive thinking.

Adapted from Eight Ways to Bring Out Your Inner Futurist at Baseline Magazine.

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Seeing Into the Future