What are the top 10 trends for the next ten years? Download the report here.
Image credit: Maia Weinstock
April 20, 2022
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re one of those people who's always thinking around the corner.
You’re in good company.
For the last few months, our fans, friends, and audiences have been taking a short survey about how ready they are for five “weak signals” - early indicators of change.
Although our sample size is too small to generalize, here’s what we know so far:
1. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is the weak signal for which people are MOST ready. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents are actively shifting from talking about DEI (that’s so 2019!) to investing time and money to hire, develop, and keep people of color, women, and those with disabilities.
2. Dealing with chronic labor shortages is the next weak signal that respondents are most ready for. Over half (59%) have a plan, have started implementing it, or are deep into implementing their plans.
3. Building resiliency into systems is a close third. Whether they’re building for further COVID disruptions or future market disruptions (supply chain, anyone?), more than half (56%) have moved from thought to action.
4. Respondents are not ready for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Only one-third (34%) of respondents are actively working on making the shift from talking about ESG to acting on it. If your organization is aware of ESG but not doing anything about it, you’re in the majority based on this survey.
5. Less than a third of respondents (31%) are working on plans to deal with higher energy prices. Our team identified this as a weak signal last November, long before Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, higher fuel prices and higher expected fuel prices are driving up the cost of everything that needs to be delivered - groceries, Amazon boxes, and passengers via airplanes, buses, and cabs.
What about you?
Which of these weak signals are relevant to your community or organization?
How ready are you to respond to them?
Find out how you rank compared to others by taking the survey.
And let us know what “weak signals” you’re noticing.
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Charlie Grantham
Charlie Grantham, PhD, APF is a futurist, author, and strategist who’s helped dozens of our clients over the years. Charlie served in Special Forces in Vietnam and earned his PhD in Sociology. Afterwards, he worked on the front lines of the telecommunications and remote work revolutions. Yep, he's seen a thing or two! Charlie is trying to retire, but he still takes our calls when we ask him to help with a major client project or new initiative. When he's not working with us, Charlie's growing tomatoes, mentoring next gen change agents, and researching and writing about community well being and tiny communities.
Rebecca Ryan, APF, FRSA
Rebecca is a human spark plug. Her enthusiasm to create bold, inspiring futures is contagious. She's an economist and top-50 professional futurist. She's been named "Communicator of the Year" by Women in Communication, "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and has served as Resident Futurist at the Alliance for Innovation, the Association of Government Risk Pools, the Greater Omaha Chamber, and the Local Government Institute of Wisconsin. She's a keynote speaker, author and consultant with distinctions from the Association of Professional Futurists and the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Rebecca's collaborative, creative approach to shaping the future has been trusted by leaders from over 200 communities, touching one in five Americans. Contact Lisa Loniello for Rebecca's keynote fee and availability.
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