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Belonging Matters

Belonging Matters Issue 136, November 23, 2023 The most fundamental motivation among the human species is to belong. Belonging is implicit in sharing trust, affinity and caring about someone or something bigger than yourself. Renown philosopher Dan Dennett in a TED talk in 2006 encouraged everyone to dedicate and devote themselves to something more important than themselves to find meaning and purpose in their lives. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions whether the audience of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and…

Power Plays

Power Plays Issue 135, November 16, 2023 As mindful observers of today’s national and global discourse, we would be among the first to remind you that we are all both a witness and a victim to power positioning among politicians, world leaders, global business moguls, and everyday bullies. And as is often the case, when bad behavior is prevalent on the world stage, it tends to trickle down to the local level in organizations, relationships, families, and institutions. It is…

Are You Sure You Matter?

Are You Sure You Matter? Issue 133, November 2, 2023 Holding onto next-gen workers and customers (born between 1997 and 2012) requires more than a trick up your sleeve. They are actively changing up the rules of engagement in, and for, organizations of all sizes — whether they are employees or customers. Call them naïve or a brutal force of nature with critical mass, they are redefining the workplace culture and the brand/customer value proposition. Here’s the key thought: You…

Misinformation, AI, Cyber Troops, and Our Need for Guardrails

Misinformation, AI, Cyber Troops, and Our Need for Guardrails Issue 131, October 19, 2023 We’re taking a moment (again) to consider the implications of the speed of technological change confronting us daily. What was charmingly referred to as the information superhighway by Al Gore back in 1993 has morphed into a bullet train … run by AI. What’s more, we face those with malicious intent to manipulate our opinions, bend our minds into believing fiction and influence us in what…

The Present

The Present Issue 130, October 12, 2023 We’re picking up on a theme we’ve been hearing recently. It’s not exactly a new idea, but it resonates as we are challenged by living in an increasingly disruptive and disturbing world. It is, quite simply, living in the present. Professor Scott Galloway (love him or not) has increasingly peppered his critical commentaries with the realization that his career has been defined by planning for the future informed by the past. His existential…

What Would You Do?

What Would You Do? Issue 128, September 28, 2023 We’ve all been in business situations that are uncomfortable, confrontational, and dysfunctional. Even after spending decades building a career, we can get a curveball that puts us in an untenable position. In our newsletters we seek to surface new ideas and realities of the workplace, always recognizing that the human factor is always of paramount importance and influence. It is our intention to help you and your organization manage change, successfully…

Case Study: A Tale of Two Cities – Ideas + Innovations from 2040

Case Study: A Tale of Two Cities Issue 117: July 13, 2023 We now present a true story, a tale as old as time, of what happens when you unknowingly create resistance to change. We’ll share the saga and let you draw your own conclusions about the outcome. Succession The founder of a digital media platform specializing in the strategy and operations of the design industry for a C-level audience needs a succession plan. She is in her early eighties…

Are You Ready? – Ideas and Innovations from 2040

Are You Ready? Issue 112, June 8, 2023 Wrong question. Are your customers ready? Is the market ready? Actually, the real question is a fusion of both. Is the customer base in your market ready to adopt what you have considered building and offering as you seek to stabilize, grow, and expand your organization? Put another way, is what you are contemplating developing something nice to have or necessary? Then add a layer of complexity to that: if the customer…

The Case for Slow Work – Ideas and Innovations from 2040

The Case for Slow Work Issue 111, May 31, 2023 How do we anticipate what’s next before the breakthroughs are even made that will ultimately shape the future? History is written in the eye of the beholder. False assumptions are the roots of history, only to be reversed/updated/revised when new information is revealed to correct the false narrative. One way to look at it is how Piet Hut, astrophysicist at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University, describes scientific…

Spring Awakening – Ideas and Innovations from 2040

Spring Awakening Issue 110, May 25, 2023 It’s Spring and we are coming up on a major holiday weekend where we hope for good weather and time outdoors with family and friends. At 2040 we’re feeling optimistic and seeking opportunities for renewal (even escape) as we see the landscape around us come to life once again. In fact, we recently came to the realization that organizations seeking to change, and transform could easily be compared to a natural landscape and…