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Ways of seeing
Successful seeing relies on synthesizing and fragmenting disparate pieces into "meaningful wholes" or new patterns. Rather than breaking up information into pieces, a manager's, policy maker's, and consultant's intuition and vision is needed for the opposite reason.
Ways of seeing¹
Techniques
We are so preoccupied with the short term, the here and now, and the urgent, that switching our brains over a long term and more strategic focus takes time and space. You might need to have a few scanning sessions that seem confused and worthless before you start to identify the valuable information, and to filter out the "noise." You will need to move out from your organization, into and beyond your industry to global trends. You will need to take a systems perspective. You will be looking for information about:
You can find typical areas for scanning using this framework (slightly adapted) here.
Using various ways to classify your data through structured (taxonomy) and unstructured (folksonomy) frameworks helps identify the valuable information and to filter out the noise. For an example of a comprehensive structured and unstructure framework see Shaping Tomorrow.
Social networks
Scanning is best done by many people to avoid surprises and to widen and deepen perspective. Using a system to collect scan hits where everyone can voluntarily contribute is ideal, but, remember to thank them each time they contribute and encourage them to share what they see in the "hit" and what this might lead to, so that others will want to contribute also.
Shaping Tomorrow's system allows its members to add insights for free, to share with all their members, just your colleagues, and only you.
Further reference
Next: Discovering Trends Back: Adopting a Worldview To: Shaping Tomorrow
Copyright: Some rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Ways of seeing¹
- See ahead: looking to what's coming next
- See behind: understanding the past
- See above: taking a helicopter view
- See below: finding the diamond in the rough
- See beside: removing the blinkers
- See beyond: questioning what's beyond the horizon
- See through: actioning the thinking above
Techniques
- Bookmark sources
- Become a newsletter junkie
- Experience a service
- Go beyond your immediate interests
- Look for new inventions
- Look outside your industry
- Maintain an idea log
- Network with forward thinkers
- Pick a time frame
- Revisit the past
- Scan the scanners
- Set up a futures panel
- Take a global perspective
- Vary your routine
- Search patents, new books, etc.
- Conduct a bibliographic search
- Explore both sides of the ledger to gain a complete picture
- Think micro and macro at all times
- Use "multiple lenses" to look at the same information or situation
- Look for ways to "triangulate" (verify from multiple sources) information
- Accept and think beyond felt needs and opportunities
- Incorporate diverse sources and viewpoints
- Consider both internal and external perspectives
- Use multiple techniques
- Explore both needs and constraints, and opportunities and assets
- Form a global view without being superficial or narrowly focused
- Involve those who can act on the information
- Promote only realistic expectations
- Ensure your research decision criteria are clear upfront
We are so preoccupied with the short term, the here and now, and the urgent, that switching our brains over a long term and more strategic focus takes time and space. You might need to have a few scanning sessions that seem confused and worthless before you start to identify the valuable information, and to filter out the "noise." You will need to move out from your organization, into and beyond your industry to global trends. You will need to take a systems perspective. You will be looking for information about:
- your industry and its operating environment
- your services, and how they might evolve
- your clients, and how their expectations might change
- issues that are likely to affect your workforce and your staff
- emerging and converging technologies
- emerging shifts in what we think is "business as usual"
You can find typical areas for scanning using this framework (slightly adapted) here.
Using various ways to classify your data through structured (taxonomy) and unstructured (folksonomy) frameworks helps identify the valuable information and to filter out the noise. For an example of a comprehensive structured and unstructure framework see Shaping Tomorrow.
Social networks
Scanning is best done by many people to avoid surprises and to widen and deepen perspective. Using a system to collect scan hits where everyone can voluntarily contribute is ideal, but, remember to thank them each time they contribute and encourage them to share what they see in the "hit" and what this might lead to, so that others will want to contribute also.
Shaping Tomorrow's system allows its members to add insights for free, to share with all their members, just your colleagues, and only you.
Further reference
- Free Labor for Foresight, John Mahaffie, 2008
-
The Kingdom of Taxonomy on Video
- Matrices, Facets, and Folksonomies
Next: Discovering Trends Back: Adopting a Worldview To: Shaping Tomorrow
Copyright: Some rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
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Latest page update: made by sunfirejewels
, May 6 2009, 11:32 PM EDT
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