WHY YOU NEED TO THINK LIKE A FUTURIST

As noted in Make Change Work for You, our bestselling guide to trendspotting and innovation, unpredictability is the only thing we can predict and uncertainty the only certainty for working professionals going forward. From the smallest local businesses to the largest global enterprises, the mass onset of coronavirus and other disruptive events will only continue to impact the fundamental way in which countless individuals and organizations do business in coming years. From the methods we use to manage development and distribution, to the way we market and sell products, make no mistake. Massive shifts in operating models, technology, and professional best practices promise to permanently redefine the way we connect, communicate, and engage in the workplace, for decades to come.

Working as futurists and trends experts for today’s largest household brands and organizations, our firm FutureProof Strategies has partnered with hundreds of Fortune 500 leaders and associations to help identify rising trends and build business strategies designed to capitalize on emerging opportunities. But after spending over 20 years focused on answering one pivotal question – What’s coming next? – we’ve also discovered that learning to future-proof a business or brand is also far less difficult and time-consuming than most would suspect. Inside the following guide, you’ll find a number of forward-thinking strategies and solutions for helping yourself and your organization stay ahead of the curve, and teaching yourself how to spot and capitalize on opportunities before rivals can react. It’s our hope that it proves an essential tool in your efforts to plan around uncertainty, future-proof your business, and build a career roadmap that can withstand any unexpected twist or turn that the market takes.

While we can’t always say for certain what the future will bring, it bears reminding. We always have the ability to think ahead, plan in advance, and – even if we should find ourselves unprepared for whatever happens – steer the future towards more positive outcomes by actively exercising a little ingenuity and hard work. Furthermore, even when surprise happenings and events call the best-laid plans into question, don’t forget: You can always learn from every circumstance and pivot accordingly. True: We live in extraordinary and eventful times. But as you’ll see time and again throughout this guide, you don’t have to be psychic to see what’s coming around the corner. More importantly, a little flexibility (and strategy) is all it often takes to successfully bridge the gap from where you’re looking to go to where you’re at.