Top 10 Trend Results
ShapingTomorrow.com, in the UK polled their members worldwide earlier this year, asking them which they felt were the top ten trends out of their list of 100.
The results of their member Trend Survey for the second quarter of 2006 are in. The Top Ten Trends in descending order were:
- The World Wide Web plays an increasing part in people's lives as it matures and becomes sophisticated.
- Telecommunications is increasingly broadband, lower cost and more accessible
- Understanding their core competencies and exploiting them to the full will mark out the successful companies of the future.
- We are all forced to take greater personal responsibility for our own health care
- We experience more and more frequent energy blackouts.
- There are chips in everything - smart homes, cars, communication devices, farm animals, pets, toys etc.
- Mobile computing becomes the norm, everything you need at your fingertips or imbedded in you.
- We all have an increased ability to work anywhere.
- Business cycles get shorter and spikier.
- Shifting age bands gives rise to a far higher need to provide for old people
ST's Conclusions:
Surprisingly, climate change and sustainability have dropped out of the Top Ten, yet still represent the biggest threats to the planet. Perhaps it will take a few more natural catastrophes and other surprises to arouse member's concerns once again. We doubt these issues have left the building for long. Speed to market, long our member's number one issue, also drops out of the top ten for the first time in three years.
Taking their place is a noticeable shift in perceptions towards technology-led forces for change being the key opportunities and risks affecting member's families, associates and organisations alike.
Fears of looming energy crises remain high on the issue agenda as does the provision of care for increasing numbers of older people. And mobility and migration enters the top ten for the first time.
ST says:
- You can use these trend results to determine if you have any missing elements in your strategy
- How are your competitors responding to these trends?
- Are you ahead, or behind?
- Where could you innovate faster than your rivals and give yourself an edge?
- The opportunities are there if you look hard for them and most of the risks can be avoided with concentrated foresight.
My Reflections
Our Blog readers will notice that Smart Technology issues come in strong in points 6, 7 and 8.
I'm also surprised that the threat of a bird flu pandemic isn't in the top ten and isn't even flagged anywhere in the list of 100 trends, (which are divided into Political, Economic, Social,Technological, Environmental, Consumer) You'll note that most of the top ten trends are off the Technology list and largly ignores the other 5 key trend areas.
Are most business being blind-sided or are they worringing just about what's familiar to them?
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Expert, Consultant and Guest Speaker on emerging Smart Technologies, Strategic Planning, Business Development, Lateral Creative Thinking and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy "
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.......Ours is the age that is proud of machines that think and suspicious of men who try to. - H. Mumford Jones
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It's Shaping Tomorrow's view that not just business but all forms of oganisation and people in general are 'being blind-sided and worrying just about what's familiar to them.'
The enlightened few know better and spend their time anticipating the future. They have significant advantage against their peers and rivals because they have moretime to react and better shape their future.
Posted by: Mike Jackson | July 01, 2006 at 07:45 AM