Daily Inspiration: “To get to a better future, ask better questions!”

“To get to a better future, ask better questions!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Are you in the right frame of mind to cope with the future? Are you really ready?

Here’s a list of some of the questions I went through with the CEO of a recent client; we were having a conversation about the issues and trends I might cover during my opening keynote at her corporate offsite meeting. I’ve turned these around into questions that you might ponder and share.

1. Do you actually know what major trends will affect the industry and what major disruptive transformations are underway?
2. Have you given some thought to how this will challenge the profession and careers on which the industry is based, and the impact this might have on future challenges or opportunities?
3. Are you frustrated by the lack of decisiveness that surrounds you, and need to focus your team on the future with passion and purpose?
4. Have you really come to accept that “volatility is the new normal,” and have you structured yourself to deal with this reality through an agile team focus?
5. Are you prepared for hyper-innovation and rapid time to market, and challenged your R&D focus to operate at a faster speed?
6. Do you really understand how quickly customers are changing as they take more control of your brand image through the online social networks in which they participate?
7. Have you thought about where you need to establish new partnerships in order that you can work smarter, better, and faster?
8. Are you ready for a “smarter type of thing” as AI, hyperconnectivity, and technology comes to define the future of your product or service line?
9. Do you have an eye on future competitors – both existing and unknown ones?
10. Are you someone who makes things happen — or do you sit back and wonder, “whoah, what happened?”
11. Do you really know what will be expected in your job 10 years from now?
12. Could you define the biggest threat to your company five years out?

This a good starting list to challenge yourself as the future continues to approach you with increasing acceleration!

Because to get to a better future, you need to ask better questions!