Future-proofing Your Business

Date: 01/02/2011

Are you becoming a white elephant? Use "futures thinking" to discover a relevant, sustainable future for your business...

A key role for all business leaders is to provide direction, protection and stability to the businesses they run. But choosing the right path forward can be fraught with danger, and any change in direction can create anxiety. That's where "futures thinking" can help, says Robert Burke, who has moved from senior executive roles to teaching others in business how to develop strong sustainable businesses into the future. He explains that "futures thinking" provides a framework to realistically assess opportunities and threats, internal and external, to all businesses. It helps business leaders recognise where change and innovation are required - even if that means destroying existing products or ways of doing things in the process. "Futures thinking" takes the anxiety out of the decision-making process, providing reassurance to business leaders that the decisions they make will lead to a sound and sustainable future.