Futuristic Thinking Archives - Page 5 of 10

New Normal, New Me, New Us: Four Fundamental Questions

By Hasan Tahsin Güngör

When we talk about developing something in the world of business, we usually mean making a person, a product, a team or an institution better—more “preferable” than it is currently. The key word is “preferred.” Why should I want to be better at work? The answer is very simple: to be preferred.

Nowadays, many people and institutions are participating in and organizing activities to develop themselves and others. When asked why they organized or participated, replies vary, but often one says one participated because it was part of a development plan. Many people attend programmes with no idea of how it will make them a preferred person. For example, there are around 4,000 certified coaches who have participated in coaching trainings in Turkey who are not actively engaged in coaching. So why did they take the training?

Befriending Measurements

By Jalene Case

I recently had a meeting with a colleague during which I was vigorously sharing my detailed analysis of 2019 and a clear plan for 2020. My colleague paused, starring at one number and said, “Wait. Did you say all of this is income going away?” I flippantly said, “Yes, but look at what I have planned!” Suddenly I saw that even though I had looked at the numbers, I hadn’t truly seen the one with the negative impact.

My enthusiastic nature leads me toward highlighting positive progress, and even hiding negative indicators so I won’t see them and feel like a failure. This is nice of my inner cheerleader but not helpful in the long run.

Finding Opportunity in Times of Worry

By Dr. Evans Baiya

We can all agree that we are facing challenging times. COVID-19 and public precautions to slow the spread of it have left businesses in a space full of unknowns. And for many people, unknowns equal worry. It is natural for leaders (all people in fact) to feel overwhelmed during moments of crisis, especially crisis that is unpredictable and with many factors they cannot control.

Yet there is possibility, even in times of uncertainty. In times like these, we encourage leaders to work through a very simple model that helps to identify priorities and define proper resolutions within those priorities, which ultimately leads to successful outcomes. It is the Worry-Opportunity-Barrier Model.

Effective leaders embrace the mindset that crises are guaranteed, but how you deal with a crisis is an integral part of leadership. Ultimately, great leaders learn through crisis. The situation either gets better or it gets worse, based on how you handle the most stressful moments. Every crisis brings with it some stressors. It is common for leaders, especially those who feel the added weight of responsibility on their shoulders, to worry. But you cannot worry yourself out of a crisis!

It’s Time to Innovate

Featuring Ron Price and Dr. Evans Baiya, InTrust, Winter 2020

It’s a new year, which often signals it’s time for a new start – time to put into play some of those ides percolation around your brain. But many a business owner often feels too overwhelmed with the daily task of keeping everything running to think about how to change things up. Many don’t know where to start.

If the word innovation causes little beads of sweat to form on your forehead, you’re not alone. You know you need to innovate, but carving out time to do it seems impossible, and implementing change seems like such a long road.Read More

What do you REALLY want?

The ONE Thing That Can Change Everything…

By Patrick Ensign

What do you want most for your business, your family…and you? How do all of these wants align with the actual work you do and the decisions you are making for your company?

Asking yourself these questions is the first step to gaining clarity. When you have clarity about what you are working towards, you are able to both prioritize and naturally align with those life/business practices that are effective in achieving your goal.

Whether you are a business owner, leader or professional at any level, you have heard the stats by Forbes:

40% of people are planning on switching jobs next year.
69% of employees are searching for a new position while on the clock with your organization.

Does it sound like these employees are effectively serving customers, crushing company goals, or engaged in the organization’s culture? Seeing that people are the single greatest factor in the success or decline of an organization, it would seem there is a big problem.

Mentoring for the Future

Featuring Ron Price, In Trust Magazine, Fall 2019

“Wax on, wax off,” instructs Mr. Miyagi as he instills the fundamental basics to Daniel, who would grow to be The Karate Kid. The classic movie follows the developing relationship between the martial arts master and his young student. It’s a mentorship made in Hollywood heaven. But mentors provide a vital role in in everyday lives. Read More

How to Harness Originality and Great Ideas in the Workplace

By Dave Clark

Have you ever had a great idea, but were afraid to express it for fear of being thought of as being “out there?” Or, have you ever been exposed to ideas at work that you just knew were destined for failure, but you didn’t say anything as to not rock the boat?

At some point in our careers, the majority of us have experienced both of these things. While it seems so simple to speak up, we often don’t. Why is this?

Many factors will hold us back from voicing our true opinions. Fear of having our ideas rejected is one. Fear of a perceived disagreement may be another. All ideas come from people, and people take ownership of these ideas. When ideas are challenged, the owner of that idea can often times get defensive. Ego is a natural part of life and not all leaders take negative feedback as well as others. Because of this, many brilliant ideas go unspoken and many less than brilliant ones don’t get challenged, simply because they originated from someone who outranks us.

Does Your Culture Need Help?

7 indications of a broken culture

By Lisa Aldisert

Culture is a common buzzword these days. Many articles tout the importance of a good culture. There are even awards that celebrate companies where employees love to work. Experts talk about defining, transforming, and fixing your culture. But how do you even know if your company’s culture needs help? Or what aspects to fix if it has some cracks?

It is possible for a culture to be mostly good and have only a few blemishes. In fact, that’s the way that most cultures are. Even idealized cultures you see showcased in the media, with inventive perks and fun break rooms, still have issues.

Every culture has its challenges. There is no Oz, nor any magic bullet. Because companies and people evolve, keeping a healthy culture in check requires constant maintenance before a variety of factors can throw it off.

Why Changing the Culture Helps Businesses Innovate

By David Quinlan

If there is one takeaway from my journey into the world of innovation, it’s that truly successful innovation requires courage and the willingness to let go of uncertainty.

Welcome back to the Innovators Academy – a behind-the-scenes, unscripted backstory of what it means to be innovative and how an organization like Better Business Bureau can make it happen. For the past month our cohort had two jobs – ideate and identify waste.

And by waste, I mean duplicated processes, inefficiencies and bottlenecks – the processes that plague instead of propel good intentions. For our team of innovators, waste was surprisingly not hard to find, and the solutions on how to correct them came pouring in.

Creating a Culture of Innovation

By David Quinlan

A personal journey into the world of innovation and what it might mean for your business.

Few things can be scarier than challenging ourselves and our preconceived notions. Yet, fewer things can be more rewarding.

This is my behind the scenes, unscripted back story of how I challenged myself and staff. We tore down our preconceived notions and learned what it means to be innovative and how even a 107-year-old organization like BBB can make it happen.

Trust me, I get it. I’ve found myself in numerous situations where I felt like a fish out of water, grappling with an abstract idea or concept. It’s uncomfortable – especially if you’re a process freak like me!

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