{"id":656,"date":"2011-09-29T14:22:47","date_gmt":"2011-09-29T13:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lornemitchell.com\/blog\/?p=656"},"modified":"2011-09-29T17:48:13","modified_gmt":"2011-09-29T16:48:13","slug":"presence-and-influencing-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=656","title":{"rendered":"Predicting and Influencing the Future for the Better"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last night I had a fascinating dinner with a few friends at the Frontline Club where we discussed how you influence the future. We ended up designing a system of brainstorming panels which had 3D glass shelves and used 3D icons that could change colour and show pictures and movies – all hitched to a reconfigurable database the cloud! By 10.30 my mind was totally boggled and we headed home!<\/p>\n

The conversation was triggered by last week’s post<\/a>\u00a0where we explored the idea of Presence as being a better paradigm to describe effective organisations and trying to show that the current obsession of process reengineering is so lacking as an organising idea for the new internet era. \u00a0This week I intend to look at whether or not we can predict the future – and we can influence outcomes at an individual, organisational and world level.<\/p>\n

To start with, I love the quote by William Gibson: “The future is here. \u00a0It’s just not widely distributed yet.” \u00a0Since the beginning of recorded history mankind has held in some sort of reverence (or equal cynicism) those who say they can see the future. \u00a0The oldest book in the world is based on the stories of the ancient prophets. \u00a0Seers and\u00a0clairvoyants\u00a0have always held a deep romantic fascination for me as guides to some sort of futre picture (whether \u00a0good or bad) and they seldom seem to be accountable for whether their predictions happen or not. \u00a0Just as Gibson observes, seers and prophets might actually be in the future and are describing things that most of us can’t see yet because we are stuck in the past (perhaps tied up in processes that were invented by someone else long ago ;-)).<\/p>\n

If you fancy your clairvoyant skills, then there is even an Australian website where you can enter them – and it keeps track of whether or not they come true! \u00a0Here is a list of War on Experts’ top 10 best predictions<\/a>. \u00a0There is also an interesting podcast from Freakonomics<\/a> on why we just love trying to predict the future and how louzy we are at it.<\/p>\n

In my work, I find the basis of “back-to-front” thinking an absolutely critical tool when trying to find the best courses of action to achieve objectives. \u00a0You can’t really be successful unless you know what success looks like – and you can’t get there unless you have worked out how to get there back-to-front. \u00a0So, in many ways, the predicted (reinforced) path to get from where you are now to where you want to get to requires some sort of prediction and willing yourself into the future.<\/p>\n

There is some fairly extraordinary research<\/a>\u00a0being run at Princeton University into human consciousness that records how the human race reacts to specific events around the world. \u00a0With the help of\u00a0correspondents around the world, events that can be expected to bring large numbers of people to a “shared or coherent emotional state”. The following is a partial, illustrative list of criteria and examples:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Suddenness or surprise. Terror attacks, especially where they are not usual.<\/li>\n
  2. Fear and compassion. Large natural disasters, typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes.<\/li>\n
  3. Love and sharing. Celebrations and ceremonies like New Years, religious gatherings.<\/li>\n
  4. Powerful interest. Political and social events like elections, protests, demonstrations.<\/li>\n
  5. Deliberate focus. Organized meetings and meditations like Earth Day, World Peace Day.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    There seems to be evidence that human consciousness actually changed a few seconds BEFORE any jet was rammed into the Twin Towers with the monitoring of \u00a0these”eggs” placed round the planet by Princeton University\u00a0which generate random numbers.<\/p>\n

    Results still show that one of the main ways to make the world more peaceful and better place is to get a group together and go into a group meditation. \u00a0Forget about thinking. \u00a0Just sit and meditate. \u00a0So whether you believe we can see the future or not, by changing our own consciousness, it appears that we can actually make the future more peaceful!<\/p>\n

    As Niels Bohr is famously quoted: “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” \u00a0but I am certain we can influence and make the future happen by our actions in the present and by envisioning the future back-to-front into our lives.<\/p>\n

    Beautiful\u00a0day here. \u00a0Hottest September afternoon in the UK on record, apparently. Off to go and meditate with the bees and raise the level of peace vibes on the planet!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    .<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last night I had a fascinating dinner with a few friends at the Frontline Club where we discussed how you influence the future. We ended up designing a system of brainstorming panels which had 3D glass shelves and used 3D icons that could change colour and show pictures and movies – all hitched to a … <\/p>\n

    Continue reading “Predicting and Influencing the Future for the Better”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[42,32,66,50,83,68,51,85,60,57,46],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DQGK-aA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1075,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=1075","url_meta":{"origin":656,"position":0},"title":"Never Let Go Of Childhood Wonder","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"08\/08\/2012","format":false,"excerpt":"So simple. So captivating. Enjoy in 3D - and if your eyes go fuzzy, switch to 2D! And if you liked that, you might like this too: http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/groups\/zengallery\/pool\/ Oh, and it is my Mum's birthday today! \u00a0Happy Birthday, Mum!","rel":"","context":"In "Animated"","block_context":{"text":"Animated","link":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?cat=70"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":645,"url":"http:\/\/www.lornemitchell.com\/?p=645","url_meta":{"origin":656,"position":1},"title":"Presence over Process","author":"Lorne Mitchell","date":"22\/09\/2011","format":false,"excerpt":"This week, the bees went to bed for the winter. Fed down with verroa treatment in the hope that most colonies will survive the winter. I have also had three very different conversations this week about the importance of Business Processes. 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