I will admit that during these times of endlessly being at home, I *may* have started re-watching old episodes of Charmed on Netflix. (Stop judging.) Putting aside the campy antics, you have to admire the consistent battle against what the future will bring and how to best prepare for it. (Tho in our case, we’re not battling demons that can be vanquished with a potion...or are we?).
#techtopic
One of the interview questions I love to ask in mock interviews is “Tell me about a time that you had to make a decision without all the necessary information.” Most students hate it. It throws them off-guard.I have had more than one tell me that they don’t make any decisions without all the information in front of them -- which is ludicrous. We make those types of decisions daily - small/easy (like trying a new brand of clothing out) or large/expensive (selecting a painter for your large Victorian home).
Employers in tech want to know that you can make decisions with imperfect or missing information, because often, that’s what daily life is like, regardless of sector.
While it’s tempting to assume that leaders have crystal balls or access to oodles of secret information to help them make decisions, it’s actually more of a method than a map.
Again, this is where I think tech, the scientific method, agile development, etc provide an advantage to those trying to do strategic planning in heavily uncertain times. You could also try learning from those who are called ‘futurists’ to see the frameworks that they use to help guide others in decision making.
So what is a futurist, you ask?
According to Amy Webb, “A futurist is someone who studies next-order outcomes using signals from the present.”
Want to make more decisions like a futurist? Check out these articles & resources:
Articles
Resources
Here are some of the Futurists that I follow to keep up on trends & signals & predictions:
#space
Sad that the launch was postponed? Check out this article to learn Why SpaceX has to wait until next Saturday to launch
