THE 7TH ESTATE EXPLAINED: WHY DO COMPANIES HIRE FUTURISTS AS KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND CONSULTANTS?

As we explain in our guide to the 7th Estate, futurists are popular keynote speakers, business strategists and management consulting advisors. Let’s talk about a few reasons why companies hire these strategy consulting professionals to help with meetings, events and consulting efforts:

• To anticipate future trends and changes. Futurists use various methods like scenario planning to analyze current trends and make reasoned predictions about where society, technology, business etc. are heading. The process helps companies plan for and adapt to future changes.
• To envision future opportunities and threats. Experts here give businesses the tools to imagine how the future could unfold and what new product innovations, business models, competitor threats, regulatory impacts etc. may emerge. Doing so helps firms to get ahead of the curve.
• To challenge assumptions and conventional thinking. Business strategy experts bring an outside perspective and question ingrained assumptions many company executives hold – and encourage organizations to think more openly about the future.
• To inspire strategic foresight. Hiring a futurist keynote speaker often helps to get company leaders to consider long-term impacts and unintended consequences of decisions. Pros here provide a framework for forward-looking strategy development.
• To align organizational vision. Also, your favorite futurologists will often help facilitate discussion around an organization’s vision, purpose and priorities in the context of possible and preferable futures… activities which can provide direction and alignment.
• To engage and prepare employees. Likewise, top futurologists educate employees on future trends and scenarios. It tends to foster a forward-looking mindset, flexibility and readiness to adapt to change.

Long story short? Companies hire futurists as keynote speakers and business consultants to provide insightful, thoughtful and holistic views on the future that can inform and enhance strategy, planning and vision in an era of complexity and uncertainty. Such experts’ outside perspective provides value.