In a world that’s constantly evolving, understanding societal- & technological trends is more than just an advantage—it’s a necessity.
In my work as Transformation Coach for teams from very large corporates to smaller businesses, I have been through a lot of different innovation- and transformation processes (we like calling them Sprints due to the time limitation and high intensity level) many times in the past 8 years.
The most common objectives for these client Sprints usually involve building new capabilities and changing mindsets of organizations. Rapid upskilling, boosting the adaptability of the individuals and their teams and creating new innovative revenue streams for the years to come are always desirable outcome, regardless of which industry our clients play in.
A key aspect of achieving those outcomes and prepare for future scenarios for your business, both the desirable and the scary ones, is to conduct trend research. It also happens to be a stage of transformation processes that everyone gets very motivated by. We LOVE taking a break from the operations for some days to explore the hundreds of trends that are forming our future while we are busy doing other things.
I have had the privilege of experiencing first-hand when our participants in transformation Sprints have made their most impactful personal discoveries of trends, be it social trends, technological, economic, environmental or political, that significantly changed their initial perception of the world, challenged old beliefs and freaked out everyone who thought the future is still years away. It’s not!
...and freaked out everyone who thought the future is still years away. It’s not!
One such trend, that’s redefining our understanding of retirement is
“From Retire to Rewire”.
This trend sees an increasing number of senior citizens reskilling and returning to work, either by choice or necessity and it is a trend that always attract attention of clients both in the Education sector as well as in business. Let’s look at some of the implications of this particular trend, that have been studied by Sprint participants from many different sectors:
This trend has profound implications for various sectors:
So your trend research will easily reveal complex and world-changing patterns, that your business -or your educational institution (if you are an educator) must take seriously, to be able to navigate the rapid changes our world is going through. So what does it take to do your trend research successfully?
Trend research is a multifaceted process that requires a unique blend of human skills. Here’s a deeper look into each of these skills:
In conclusion, effective trend research requires a combination of cognitive, digital, interpersonal, self-leadership, and adaptability skills. By developing these skills, we can enhance our ability to research trends effectively, understand their implications, and communicate our findings to others.
effective trend research requires a combination of cognitive, digital, interpersonal, self-leadership, and adaptability skills. By developing these skills, we can enhance our ability to research trends effectively, understand their implications, and communicate our findings to others.
You can find more about the 60 human skills that help us thrive in the age of AI over here https://educatefor.life/skills .
In conclusion, researching trends and understanding their implications is a skill that’s becoming increasingly important in our rapidly changing world. As the trend “From Retire to Rewire” shows, these shifts can have far-reaching impacts, offering challenges and opportunities in equal measure. By developing the right human skills, we can not only stay ahead of these trends but also leverage them for societal benefit.
My transformation work has been conducted in great partnerships with several important partners, such as https://openexo.com , https://aqai.io and https://sprinthero.com . I owe my gratitute to so many fabulous transformation agents from these organizations and to clients, who made bold decisions to undergo desirable transformation (rather than wait and see what the next wave of change brings).
If you have appetite to explore more on researching trends, then jump over to https://educatefor.life/trends to see the digital TREND CARDS we are now ready to offer you. They of course leverage AI research and the human curation done by our community.
Additional resources: Explore this Masterclass on Researching Trends:
https://educatefor.life/en/human-development-in-a-tech-world/researching-trends-masterclass
-Lars
PS: What trends do you find most exciting, or concerning? Let me know in the comments, and do feel encouraged to share this post with someone who may find inspiration from it...
PPS: Are you someone who went through trend discoveries with me in a transformation Sprint or workshop, then I will be happy to hear from you. What did you discover that helped you navigate better?