Predictable pandemics and unpredictable demographics: the impact of COVID-19 and beyond

By

At this point COVID-19 is easily the worst pandemic since the Hong Kong Influenza (H3N2) in 1968 and the 1957 Asian flu (H2N2), both of which are estimated to have killed at least one million people, far worse than the more recent SARS, MERS, Ebola, or avian flu.

An inevitable pandemic

Some people seem to think this has come out of the blue, but a pandemic of this nature has been long anticipated by experts. Despite Goldman Sachs and Sequoia Capital among others calling the spread of coronavirus a ‘Black Swan’ event, it is absolutely not, as well-explained by the Red Team Analysis Society
Read more →

5 powerful ideas that will shape the 2020s

By

A little while ago I gave a keynote titled Powerful Ideas Shaping Our Future at the highly inspiring Supply Nation Conference, which had the theme The Power of an Idea.

The five powerful ideas I shared in my keynote covered some of the most important themes that will shape this decade. Ideas ripple out to create action and in turn change. Here are brief snapshots of these five deeply interrelated ideas.
Read more →

Earning a living: how the growing divergence between labor productivity and wages could tear society apart

By

An article just out in The Age titled The changing face of earning a living looks at the current very low growth rate in wages and the resulting social impact.

The article ends by quoting me:
Read more →

The critical role of HR in helping leaders envisage and create the future of work

By

I was recently interviewed by Anita Lettink for the 25 on HR 2025 Podcast series, speaking about the future of work and the role of HR in 2025 and beyond.

You can listen to the podcast on the site or below.


Read more →

Will AI help save the planet? The state of AI, AGI, and robots and making technology a force for good

By

WWF, originally established in 1961 to preserve wildlife, has a long pedigree in its efforts to save nature and the planet. However it is also continually renewing itself, and in contrast to some other organizations in the space it now has a strong focus on the potential of technology to assist its mission.

Among other initiatives WWF has founded Panda Labs, a decentralized innovation ecosystem to experiment and create positive impact at scale. An example of its initiatives is OpenSC, which uses blockchain-style technologies to create transparent and ethical supply chains, built in collaboration with BCG Digital Ventures.
Read more →

In the future of work our avatars will collaborate in virtual worlds

By

Whlie virtual reality is currently solidly in the trough of disillusionment, it has always been evident that in the long term entertainment and interaction in virtual worlds will become commonplace.

What has not been as evident to many is that much of that remote interaction will be between avatars of ourselves, with realistic representations of us conversing and engaging with others.
Read more →

The 5 elements of enhancing client relationship capabilities

By

Below is an excerpt from my book Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships 2nd Edition from Chapter 6 on Enhancing Client Relationship Capabilities: Implementing Key Client Programs.

See links to details on my work as a strategy advisor on client relationship leadership and my keynotes and workshops on building exceptional client relationships.

Enhancing Client Relationship Capabilities

Every firm has a certain set of capabilities in developing high-value client relationships. All successful firms will have at least reasonable capabilities in this domain, even if this has not been an overt focus in their management activities. The issue, whatever the current state of those capabilities, is how to continually enhance them. As you saw in Chapter 1, doing quality work is not enough. At every level from the top end of the market down, differentiation will increasingly stem from how well firms manage their client relationships. What was good enough a few years ago is not good enough today, and what is good today will simply not be adequate a few years from now.
Read more →

2020 and beyond: heightened climate activism, wealth divides, gender power shifts, entertainment economy

By

The most recent Good Weekend magazine, which reaches over 1 million readers in Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times and Melbourne’s The Age, included a compact feature interview with me titled Meet the futurist with 2020 vision.

Below are some brief excerpts, or read the full article:
Read more →

50 years later: Humanity’s adaptation to Future Shock

By

This year it is 50 years since Alvin Toffler published Future Shock. It was an immensely influential book in shaping how his generation thought about the future.

In commemoration of the anniversary, a new book After Shock: The World’s Foremost Futurists Reflect on 50 Years of Future Shock―and Look Ahead to the Next 50 is coming out in early February, with contributions from a wide range of leading future thinkers, including Ray Kurzweil, Alan Kay, David Brin, Zoltan Istvan, Aubrey de Grey, myself, and many others.

Below is the chapter I contributed, summarizing my thoughts on this remarkable book and how it helps frame our future.
Read more →

7 lessons learned from 20 years of professional speaking

By

It is exactly two decades since I became a professional speaker. I had paid my dues over the previous four years speaking frequently for free at conferences. My breakthrough from ‘free to fee’ came from the publication of my first book, Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships, which gave me the credibility and visibility to be invited for my first professional engagement in late January 2000.

I have to acknowledge I didn’t do a stellar job for my first paid gig, but it was the beginning of what has been and still is a truly wonderful career. For me being a futurist and professional speaker is an absolute dream job, travelling the world to share ideas with an eclectic range of fascinating people.

Here are seven things I have learned about the profession of speaking over the last 20 years of hard work.
Read more →