Futures consciousness: An enabler skill for creating sustainable business value
What is future consciousness?
The “official” definitions of futures consciousness vary slightly depending on which academic you ask, but this definition by a research team focused on futures consciousness is clear and easy to grasp:
Futures consciousness is the human capacity to understand, anticipate, prepare for, and embrace the future. (Source: https://futuresconsciousness.utu.fi/concept/)
For businesses, futures consciousness is the organisation’s capability to understand, prepare for and imagine the futures (proactive) as well as act and react to the possible futures e.g. by reflecting and making decisions based not only on information about the history and today but also thinking about the decisions’ impact in the future (writer’s own definition).
What has futures consciousness to do with business?
In business context one might think futures consciousness relates only to innovation and product development. For sure it’s not the only operation where futures consciousness is needed. In fact, we need futures consciousness everywhere and every day in businesses: whenever we make choices or decisions, when we paint visions or create strategies, or when we set goals and targets for the future. Futures consciousness is needed to build truly sustainable businesses as you simply cannot operate in a sustainable way without being futures conscious. Businesses need to think what kind of legacy they leave for generations to come and what kind of businesses are overall possible in the future. Also, when thinking how important the purpose of the company has become to customers, employees and stakeholders, you need to build your purpose in a futures conscious manner. Also the way you lead and build relationships in- and outside the company, require futures consciousness. And it goes all the way to living your life - are you drifting along the current or are you conscious of your choices and whereabouts, building the future?
How can you practice futures consciousness?
There’s actually quite a lot you can do to develop your thinking and actions around futures consciousness. Board of directors should show the way and start creating visions and scenarios towards the future. Crafting visions, building scenarios or imagining possible futures, are all concrete examples of thinking futures oriented. When you start to think futures oriented, you will also start to think about the consequences of your actions and decisions - what kind of impact do your actions and decisions have on the future? What are the possible futures that your decisions enable? Or do your actions block some scenarios? Sketching the possible impacts might also backlash to the crafted vision and strategies, perhaps those need to be revised accordingly if the future impact is not according to the values or purpose of the company. For all leaders, futures consciousness should be part of decision making as they are the ones calling the shots, making the tough choices, choosing what to do and what to leave undone, and also because they influence many people. Long term thinking is of course very hard as many times the focus on the everyday is on short term impact, revenues and results. But it is inevitable that if you want your business to succeed in the future, you’ll need to start implementing futures thinking (think about acorns) instead or at least in addition of immediate rewards (think less about marshmallows). In innovation and product development as well as company strategy creation, it goes without saying that you need to practice futures thinking and futures consciousness as integral part of the strategy or product creation process: where are we heading? Where is the world going? What kind of mega trends or phenomena can we recognise that have a potential impact on our business? What are the potential future scenarios and how do those impact our choices today and tomorrow?
Potential impact of being futures conscious
If you are making futures conscious visions, strategies and choices, you are actively thinking and considering the impact of these actions in the future. Which again will make you think and act in a different, and perhaps more sustainable way. Also when you’re thinking ahead, you become aware of the possibilities and threats that the future might bring. Being aware alone might help you create different scenarios and change direction at a faster pace when needed. Thinking about the impact of today’s actions will also make you think about the different aspects of your decisions (e.g. social, environmental, economical, human) which in turn will broaden your perspective on business in general. According to research, futures consciousness consists of 5 dimensions: time perspective, agency beliefs, openness to alternatives, systems perception and concern for others (read more here https://futuresconsciousness.utu.fi/concept/). On an individual level, being aware and practicing these five dimensions, will help one make better and more sustainable decisions not only in business but also in the everyday life.
If you want to learn more about futures consciousness in business, check out our online courses on digital age business skills and join us to create companies, leadership and businesses that create better value and bigger impact being more sustainable, more purposeful, more innovative and more human.
About Change Makers’ Society
We offer training and coaching for changemakers and future leaders in digital age business and leadership skills and concrete tools to accelerate conscious growth individually, in your own organization or team.
How can we encourage and support your changemaker journey?
Help you develop your digital age business skills
Support you with tools to lead and create value in the digital era
Provide you with thoughts, ideas and sparks for your own or your company’s transformation journey
Interested? Pls leave your email address here for more info & news:
