Reports from the Knowledge Labs about our recent findings, research topics, and interviews with lifestyle leaders who are creating their own futures.
|
|
| |
How to stimulate your own powers of foresight. Consider the following thought provokers. Ask yourself, in these categories what are the brand new trends and forces? Which are the ones growing in importance? Which current forces are loosing their steam? Which have peaked or are reversing themselves? Which are the "wildcards" about to disrupt us in the future? POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL thought for food: Electronics, Materials, Energy, Fossil, Nuclear, Alternative, Other, Manufacturing (techniques), Agriculture, Machinery and Equipment, Distribution, Transportation (Urban, Mass, Personal, Surface, Sea, Subsurface, Space), Communication (Printed, Spoken, Interactive, Media), Computers (Information, Knowledge, Storage & Retrieval, Design, Network Resources), Post-Cold War, Third World, Conflict (Local, Regional, Global), Arms Limitation, Undeclared Wars, Terrorism, Nuclear Proliferation, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Governments (More/Less Power and Larger or Smaller Scale), Taxes, Isms: Nationalism, Regionalism, Protectionism, Populism, Cartels, Multinational Corporations, Balance of Trade, Third Party Payments, Regulations (OSHA, etc.) Environmental Impact, U.S. Prestige Abroad. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC Food for thought:
Labor Movements, Unemployment / Employment Cycles, Recession, Employment Patterns, Work Hours / Schedules, Fringe Benefits, Management Approaches, Accounting Policies, Productivity, Energy Costs, Balance of Payments, Inflation, Taxes, Rates of Real Growth, Distribution of Wealth, Capital Availability and Costs, Reliability of Forecasts, Raw Materials, Availability and Costs, Global versus National Economy, Market versus Planned Economies, Generations: Y, X, Boomers, Elderly, Urban vs. Rural Lifestyles, Affluent vs. Poor, Neighborhoods and Communities, Planned or Organic Growth.
Got Knowledge?
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Journal of 2020 Foresight
|
|
| |
|
Monday, August 21, 2006
Looking Into the Eye of the Tiger or Bonking at the Border
Chapter Four: The Tribal Territories
By Steve Howard, CKO
The Knowledge Labs
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Basecamp
Chapter Two: The Ridge
Chapter Three: The Outpost
Chapter Four: The Tribal Territories
"What Google's success reflects is how much people are interested in having ... all the world's knowledge at their fingertips. There is no bigger flattener than the idea of making all the world's knowledge, or even a big chunk of it, available to anyone and everyone, anytime, anywhere."
Thomas L. Friedman, "The World is Flat"
DOUBLE NICKEL RANCH. Athletic organizations in early to growth stages can’t afford to staff up with more bodies. They contract with experts to eliminate the extra financial burden of benefits, but Athletes guard their organization’s core competencies while quickly managing increasing degrees of complexity.
Journal of 2020 Foresight: Athletes recruit Interim Managers, “Digitally Mobiles” and “Portfolio Locals” on a independent contractor basis to eliminate the extra financial burden of benefits. But, doesn't that put them in a bind? What happens if key contractors take permanent work elsewhere or become too busy on someone else's project?
Explorer: Exactly. You've described their dilemma. Project managers have to reveal just enough proprietary secrets for contractors to perform their project tasks quickly and efficiently, but not too much -- otherwise their newly learned secrets walk out the door.
J2020F: And, if the market demand explodes won't Athletes want to hire and keep key performers in the fold? Finding key people in new industries doesn't happen overnight, right?
Explorer: You are right. So, the rapid growth organization creates a “Core Business Function” for further tightening. On the path of least resistance they share a “border” with the Agile “Tiger Teams,” an Associate talent tribe that more closely resembles Athletes.
J2020F: In terms of what?
Explorer: Degree of affiliation, but less speed and more mastery. “Core Business Function” Athletes bond with their team or function primarily. “Agile Tiger Teams” develop loyalty to the team-of-teams culture -- to the organization.
J2020F: What do the “Core Business Function” Athletes tighten further?
Explorer: They develop the tools and manage the process of multiple new product introductions. They have to optimize the availability of internal and external team members – rolling people in and off of projects as the critical path for each product dictates.
J2020F: Doesn’t that “shared border” with the Associate tiger teams also define the next opportunity to bonk?
Explorer: It does, but for the opposite reason than what kept the Agents in their “start-up box” until early growth Athletes opened the garage door and stopped the “head banging.”
J2020F: How does the organization survive the crisis without a swelled head?
Got Knowledge?
Copyright ©2002 - 2006 Aarnaes Howard Associates. All rights reserved worldwide.
7:10 AM
|
|
| |
|
|
|
