Whether it’s responding to seismic shifts in your industry or working to adopt a long-term strategy changing the future orientation of your company can yield significant advantages. Research has shown that companies that have a strong focus on the future are more efficient and innovative. To be more forward-looking you can motivate managers and employees to develop and implement new strategies and procedures that help the company better prepare for the future and adapt to changing trends.
The development of future-oriented innovation requires a method of dialog to assess business opportunities and potential obstacles. This can be accomplished by using a framework of futures-literacy which includes knowledge of futures and awareness, as well as futures capability. Futures literacy refers the capacity of an individual or a company to identify, construct and articulate futures. It is based on the understanding that the creation and articulation of futures is a multidisciplinary process that involves different domains, spheres, and stakeholder. Futures awareness is an individual’s capacity to identify future possibilities. It is based on their view of the world.
Future-oriented innovation can be achieved by creating products and services that enhance people’s lives. These improvements are the result of collaboration between various high-tech process stakeholders. They require a thorough assessment of current problems and possible alternatives. This kind of innovation requires a complete epistemic understanding and the ability to hear suggestions from the future.
