© 2003 Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D., CBC Customized Newsletter Services Jan/Feb 2004 Article www.customizednewsletterservices.com

Predictions for future can be stimulating and challenging, especially if one is a top executive in a business enterprise attempting to make strategic decisions. Our rapidly changing global environment presents problems never before encountered. No one knows what will be required of leaders in future, but some speculation is worthy of our attention.

Predictions from experts in their fields have not always been accurate. Here are a few examples:

oIn 1899 U.S. Commissioner of patents, Charles Duell, declared, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”

oIn 1905, President Grover Cleveland prophesied, “Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.”

New industries are already well on their way to becoming established products and services for future: micro-robotics, machine translations in real time, urban traffic systems, bio-mimetic materials, machines capable of emotions, inference and learning, and bioremediation for cleaning up earth’s environment are a few.

Each of these opportunities is by nature global, with no single nation or region likely to control all technologies and skills required to turn them into reality. Any firm wishing to become a leader will have to collaborate with and learn from customers, technology providers, and suppliers wherever they are located (Hamel & Prahalad, Competing for Future, 1994).

By David s. Levine

It is a common business axiom – change or die. As a small or mid-sized business owner or a manager, there will be times you will need to make changes in your organization but may not be sure how to go about it. Change is hard to implement and even harder to sustain. Think about all of people who have trouble sticking to a diet or quitting smoking or keeping up with an exercise program, let alone just starting. If changing yourself is hard, how can you change an entire business, organization, process or department?

As a Certified Business Coach, one of biggest challenges my clients face is this issue of change. Did you know there are eight reasons why organizations fail to change from a lack of urgency to underestimating power of vision to failing to create short-term wins? The eight reasons are:

1.Lack of a sense of urgency 2.Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition 3.Underestimating power of vision 4.Not communicating vision 5.Allowing obstacles to block new vision 6.Failing to create short-term wins 7.Declaring victory too soon 8.Neglecting to anchor changes firmly into corporate culture