Dear Gemma, very interesting read and curiously awaiting the next post to see how your research project, findings and insights evolve. Personally, I believe that the Corporate Futurism market is growing and evolving in direct response to the knowledge and information explosion as well as accelerating uncertainty. Having access to the best informed guess about the probable future creates a strategic advantage ( even if it is only weeks or days) and a sense of agency ( which is preferable in running a business to being constantly overtaken by surprise which could literally wipe you out.) I see it being no different than armies of old sending out scouts to gather intelligence about a terrain, a route or an opponent's resources and preparations in order to be the survivor. Maybe this survival instinct that Richard Dawkins describes at The Selfish Gene is what drives the entire practice of Futurism- corporate or not.
Perhaps there is an element of ego in some practitioners who want to be the oracles of truth or masters of destiny, but in my opinion, most of the investments made into trying to create preferable futures is driven by a need for control, order, predictability, surviving and hopefully thriving, despite a very, very messy chaotic world. And if you succeed in ending up closer to the preferable future than the random future, these actors - if operating at scale, can indeed make a dent in the universe because of globalization, interconnected economies, instant media. But as you say....it could be for better- or for worse. There are always unintended consequences in complex eco-systems that few of us mere mortals have the power to compute.
Great to hear what you're working on, Gemma. Looking forward to the next instalment!
Dear Gemma, very interesting read and curiously awaiting the next post to see how your research project, findings and insights evolve. Personally, I believe that the Corporate Futurism market is growing and evolving in direct response to the knowledge and information explosion as well as accelerating uncertainty. Having access to the best informed guess about the probable future creates a strategic advantage ( even if it is only weeks or days) and a sense of agency ( which is preferable in running a business to being constantly overtaken by surprise which could literally wipe you out.) I see it being no different than armies of old sending out scouts to gather intelligence about a terrain, a route or an opponent's resources and preparations in order to be the survivor. Maybe this survival instinct that Richard Dawkins describes at The Selfish Gene is what drives the entire practice of Futurism- corporate or not.
Perhaps there is an element of ego in some practitioners who want to be the oracles of truth or masters of destiny, but in my opinion, most of the investments made into trying to create preferable futures is driven by a need for control, order, predictability, surviving and hopefully thriving, despite a very, very messy chaotic world. And if you succeed in ending up closer to the preferable future than the random future, these actors - if operating at scale, can indeed make a dent in the universe because of globalization, interconnected economies, instant media. But as you say....it could be for better- or for worse. There are always unintended consequences in complex eco-systems that few of us mere mortals have the power to compute.