So what is the purpose of a futurist?
Quite simply, we help you know more about the stuff you don't know about that you need to know about. Because if you don't know about it, things might not go so well. It's stated in this video right here:
What CEOs around the world are trying to do to is to align themselves to massive business model disruption, massive technological change, massive skill set change, massive marketplace change, massive change in consumer behavior. A world tomorrow that will look unlike anything that we know today. The greatest risks you face, are found with the undefined, the trends that have not yet occurred, the science not yet discovered, inventions that aren't yet a part of our world and ideas not yet crystallized. It is the great unknown! It's what you don't know that might eventually hurt you. You need to be involved in the future. You need to understand these trends and you need to do it now.
Because it is what we don't know that will hurt us!
That was the essence of my closing keynote for several thousand executives at the National Safety Council annual conference.
At this very moment, there are probably a bunch of really smart people figuring out how to change your future. Are you aware of them? Do you know what they are up to? Do you know what the impact will be on your plans? Do you know what to do about it?
Give it a few years - you won’t even recognize the industry you are operating in because things will have changed so much. That’s because the rate of change is accelerating in every single industry – and the global pandemic has made it faster. Here’s why:
- Right now, there are probably a bunch of really smart people figuring out to change your future
- If you aren’t busy thinking about changing your future, they most certainly will.
- They’ll probably do this sooner than you think they will.
- The result is that 10 years out (or less), your future will look nothing like you imagine it does today.
- Those that do mess up your plans for your future are quite likely to be younger than you; for many folks, age provides for complacency.
- The fundamental change to your future, driven by this younger generation, will be the result of digital, smart, intelligent, location-oriented stuff
- They’ll use this 'stuff' in such a way they’ll come out of the left field with an idea that you’ve never even thought of before!
- Their ideas will carry an undeniable ‘coolness’ factor that you can’t simply match.
- Most likely, you’ll discount the importance of their idea, until it is much too late.
- The result will be dramatic change: it’s likely that your current strategy will not even survive: and your company might not as well!
Examples of this type of fast change are occurring all around you right now.
Change is going to happen to you too.
So — what are you going to do about it?
Over the last 15 years, the vast majority of the keynotes given by Futurist Jim Carroll have been at CEO or other senior leadership meeting events. The driving factor for these offsite events has been when the CxO has determined that it is critical to wake their team up out of their complacency - by giving them a message of a fast, disruptive future. Jim spends a lot of time thinking about the future and what comes next, and, according to his wife of 33 years, not enough time thinking about today.