future-ready: responding to a fast-changing world
TRANSCRIPT
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We realised that our approach to change was going out-of-date• Our long-held beliefs were no longer true: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 [email protected] @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