future-ready: responding to a fast-changing world

Future-Ready:responding to a fast-changing worldECF – 13 April 2016David Bent - @davidbent

Responding to a fast-changing world

We're in the middle of

two transitions*

Inevitable: digital

revolution

Required: sustainable economy

Most organisations are

failing on both

The opportunitychange ourselves so we can use the inevitable to

change the world* we hope

1. What’s going on in corporate sustainability and beyond?

A few leaders, lots of incremental effort. But not is enough.

Approach to sustainability efforts are changing

Last 30 yearsDominated by incumbentsIncremental effortsProduct and service innovationFor-profit maximisation

Emerging order New entrants (for good and bad)Whole system effortsBusiness model innovationFor-purpose and for- long-term –profit

No guarantee of success

It’s annoying we’re going in the wrong direction.

There are plenty of people to blame.

But ultimately we only control ourselves.

We need to change ourselves so we can foster the transition to a sustainable future.

The inevitable transition – a new socio-technological basis.

from Stern (2012) and Perez (2002).

Digital revolution is changing information flows, and therefore how to be organised

What we’re used to Centralised / controlledOrganised as siloes

What’s comingDiffuseOrganised as networks

“Computers and other digital advances are doing for mental power— the ability to use our brains to understand and shape our environments— what the steam engine and its descendants did for muscle power.”

Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, Andrew in The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies

No organisation or society is ready for this.

“Computers and other digital advances are doing for mental power— the ability to use our brains to understand and shape our environments— what the steam engine and its descendants did for muscle power.”

Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, Andrew in The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies

No organisation or society is ready for this.

The opportunity: use the digital revolution to create a sustainable future

Status quoDefinitely unsustainable

Emerging orderHopefully sustainableTransition

Choices and ‘winners’ here form the emerging order

2. How has Forum for the Future responded?

We realised that our approach to change was going out-of-date• Our long-held beliefs were no longer true:

◦ Working one-on-one can help incumbents to be prime movers in change.

◦ We can be relevant, and have a global impact, from the UK.

• If we had kept going then we would have been increasingly ineffectual, and would have deserved to die.

We asked ourselves some tough questions Diagnosis Direction

Design for

delivery• How do we believe change

happens?• What change do we believe is

needed?• What skills and assets do we

have, or could grow over time?• What have we learnt so far?• Where have we failed, honestly?

• What is the best match for what we can do (and get funded for) with what is needed in the world?

• Where and how should we ‘play’?

• How should we be organised to deliver that?

• How can we have access to the skills and assets do we need?

• How can we generate the income to cover the costs we have?

• How can we get better as we go?• How can we evaluate our impact?

We’re definitely not ‘there’ yet

Partner responsive

Systems-led +

Partner-directive

“Catalyst”

2016-2010-20152006-2010

Catalyse the shift to a sustainable future

Spot the areas of high-change potential

Match with the pioneers who want to act

Use our change processes

Create proof-points that others can use

By 2018 we aim for:

Specific sustainability issues shifted, like protein and Indian

energy

People and organisations inspired and equipped to act

themselves

Created enabling conditions

Some hard-won lessons• It is difficult to see alternatives when you’re very used to the status

quo

• The commitment to ‘cutting-edge’ forces Forum forward

• Experimentation helps make the case for the new

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth.

The learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world

that no longer exists.”

Eric Hoffer

3. What can you do to respond to a fast-changing world?

Some questions

What long-held beliefs are no longer going to

be true?

What is the best match for what your

organisation can do with what is needed in

the world?

How can you start to experiment in roughly

the right direction?

What long-held beliefs are no longer going to be true?

Candidates:

“It is OK for campaigning, media, volunteering,

fundraising to act separately, even having

very different messages"

"It is better to act alone and specifically on one

issue than act coherently with others on the big

picture."

What is the best match for what you organisation can do with what is needed?

Our skills and assets

Way to create

change 1Way to create

change 2

The impact we want

Way to create

change 3

?

?

?

How can you start to experiment in roughly the right direction?

Set up• Long-term intent:

in 5 year's time, what will you be glad you learnt now?

• Set your inquiry question: ‘how can we...?’

• Design for learning:budget time to learn; be ready to put insights into practice

• Limit the risk:Show how the downside is controlled

During• Be agile:

Respond to changes• Be reflective

Make time to learn as you go (and record it!)

After• Evaluation:

- How could we do things better?- How could we do better things?

• Reward ‘good’ failureIf you learn (and do things differently), it’s a success

• ImplementPut insights into practice

• Progress:What's the next experiment?

Some questions

What long-held beliefs are no longer going to

be true?

What is the best match for what your

organisation can do with what is needed in

the world?

How can you start to experiment in roughly

the right direction?

Responding to a fast-changing world

We're in the middle of

two transitions*

Inevitable: digital

revolution

Required: sustainable economy

Most organisations are

failing on both

The opportunitychange ourselves so we can use the inevitable to

change the world* we hope

And finally…

Putting the world on a sustainable footing is the task of our generation.

Are you going to be the one to change how things are

done?

We need you to be amazing

Thank youDavid Bentdavid.bent.hazelwood@gmail.com @davidbent

Behind each problem is the mindset which drives‘unsustainability’

Our diagnosis:Starting point

Many areas need changeMany efforts underway

Our diagnosisWhat will make a difference now

Help specific challenges that are ready

Help individuals and organsiations to create change where they are

Our diagnosisWhat will make a difference over time

Help specific challenges that are ready.

Help individuals and organsiations to create change where they are.

Design each to shift the wider context too

Our diagnosisShift to a sustainable future

Help specific challenges that are ready.

Help individuals and organsiations to create change where they are.

Design each to shift the wider context too

Our diagnosisShift to a sustainable future

Help specific challenges that are ready.

Help individuals and organsiations to create change where they are.

Design each to shift the wider context too

Will make changing easier

Catalyse the shift to a sustainable future• Spot the areas of high-change potential• Match with the pioneers who want to act• Use our change processes• Create proof-points that others can use

By 2018 we’ll have impacts:1. Specific sustainability issues like protein and Indian energy2. People and organisations inspired and equipped to act themselves3. Created enabling conditions