Using resilient thinking as a catalyst for Future Thinking
Future Thinking (or Futures Thinking) is the process of anticipating future trends and developments in order to make better decisions today. It's an essential tool for businesses because the future is unpredictable and full of potential opportunities. Our approach at Creaholic is centred on harnessing the positive potential using an optimistic outlook and building the future we want to enjoy.
Mindset is key to how we deal with change and uncertainty. If we have a fixed mindset, we tend to see things as set in stone and resistant to change. This way of thinking can make us feel like we're powerless in the face of change and that any attempt to improve our situation is futile - this can stop innovation in its tracks.
On the other hand, with a resilient mindset we see change as an opportunity for growth and development. We're more likely to take risks as a team or organisation and embrace challenges, knowing that they can help us learn and grow.
Play together to invent for better is Creaholic's vision. Shape the future, don't let it shape you. Creaholic's approach to Future Thinking is all about helping organisations and teams cultivate a resilient mindset, identify signals, create possible futures, consider different personas – and then take action.
Resilient mindset supports business development
As our Professional Inventor Béatrice Merlach said in an interview for the Meike's Raumzeit (German) podcast:
"At Creaholic, we are convinced that if we deal with the future directly, we need to have a positive attitude about what is to come. This is necessary to make decisions. We cannot predict how the future will be, but we can develop hypotheses and scenarios today that anticipate future developments based on current trends. We can then revise and rethink again and again. That is what helps us make the right decision about our future today".
Organisations that proactively shape their future are more likely to achieve their long-term business objectives, as they are better prepared for change and ensure their products and services remain relevant. Those that don't are more likely to be at the mercy of events, and may find themselves struggling to keep up with the competition.
The necessity of Future Thinking
When it comes to the future, we can either let it happen or make it happen. Shaping the future requires us to be proactive and to create the future we believe can happen. This rewarding and inspiring work can be done by identifying signals (early indicators or trends that suggest possible future developments or changes) and taking steps to ensure that these trends work in our favour.
Future Thinking helps teams anticipate change, identify opportunities and make better decisions. It allows them to experiment with different ideas and test new approaches before committing to anything. Rapid changes in technology, the economy and society are making it difficult to predict the future with any degree of certainty. This means that organisations need to be agile and able to adapt quickly to change.
A resilient mindset can help individuals and businesses stay focused on their long-term goals, even when faced with short-term setbacks. It can also help individuals and businesses pivot when necessary, to take advantage of new opportunities or to address unexpected challenges. As Shane Parrish says: “Don’t prepare for the last disaster; be prepared to be surprised”.
Creaholic's approach to Future Thinking: Future Shaping
The ideas and methods of Future Thinking are constantly evolving. Our Professional Inventors support organisations in their planning for the future by immersing them in a unique hands-on experience that gets them out of everyday thinking while nudging them to use resilient thinking to imagine utopia. Instead of focusing on what our world or industries look like 30 years from now, we prefer to create for a nearer future. We call this Future Shaping and it involves looking only 10 to 15 years ahead. We believe this timeframe is more realistic and easier to grasp.
We work with you to identify signals, trends and developments that are likely to occur, and help you take steps to ensure that these trends work in your favour.
We help organisations not only prepare for the future, but also shape it according to their vision.
