“It was clear, well-written, and the points followed logically from each other.” (Long Rang Planning, July 2007)
“…clear, well written…we can thoroughly recommend the book as it covers an important topic in an informed way.” (Long Range Planning, 40/2007)
“We can thoroughly recommend the book as it covers an important topic in an informed way”. (Long Range Planning , March 2008)
In business, it always helps to know what’s coming. How can you take advantage of the business opportunities of tomorrow if you aren’t planning for that tomorrow today?
In Turning the Future into Revenue, noted futurist and business consultant Glen Hiemstra explores the global changes that will revolutionize business and reveals the ways individuals and organizations can profit from those coming developments. Surprising demographic shifts, energy shortages, new technologies, environmental changes, and issues of race and religion will change the way we live. They will also lead to new and exciting business opportunities. Only those who foresee those opportunities will be in position to take advantage of them.
Hiemstra begins by offering a primer on the most important and surprising trends of the future and what effects they will have on people and businesses. Then he describes the kind of organizational planning required to be fully prepared. He outlines a structured three-stage future planning process that involves developing the ability of foresight, choosing a future direction, and deciding on a set of strategies that will get you there. This isn’t the kind of planning you can manage over the course of a weekend retreat or during a round of golf. It takes time and effort.
What about the kind of short-term planning that affects the bottom line every day? Turning the Future into Revenue shows that short-term planning is generally much more effective when it’s based on a long-term vision of the future, rather than on a quest for quick profits or market share. Hiemstra shows that the best way to develop short-term strategy is to work backwards from your long-term vision. It may seem contradictory, but the future isn’t a one-way street; you can shape it with the right strategies today.
The most successful companies over the long-term will be those that not only anticipate near-term economic shifts, but those that take a much longer view than the current emphasis on organizational speed and agility encourages. Whatever comes, the future will certainly be a challenge. If you and your organization want to seize that future first, Turning the Future into Revenue offers invaluable insight on what will happen nextand how to predict, shape, and profit from it.
From the Back Cover
DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS
In Turning the Future into Revenue, Glen Hiemstra, founder of Futurist.com and noted expert on emerging business opportunities, explores how our changing world will transform private enterprise and public policy. From shifting demographics to global warming to new energy policies, change is coming. Turning the Future into Revenue shows how these new realities can be turned into profitable new ventures.
Some of the topics Hiemstra discusses include:
- Five long-term trends you should be prepared for
- Global warming and the urgent need for green business
- Profiting from technology and energy trends
- Predicting the future of your business or career
- Hedging your bets on future business
- Ten key practices of the future-oriented enterprise
- Future planning exercises, tools, and activities
- Tactics for forecasting the future
- Shaping your career for future success
About the Author
Glen Hiemstra is the founder of Futurist.com; an internationally respected consultant; and a speaker to business, government, and professional associations. A former award-winning educator, he is a visiting scholar at the Human Interface Technology Lab at the University of Washington and an expert in preferred future planning. For more information, please visit www.futurist.com.
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