Provocative thinking

Part of my job is to provoke client’s thinking.

Here are 10 predictions about the future I have discussed some of my clients over the last few months in coaching or strategy planning sessions, to challenge and provoke their thinking:

1. LinkedIn and Facebook will become so full of people trying to get business that it will be impossible for most people to break through the noise. Social media will absorb more and more of your time, for little to no result. Building relationships one person at a time will be more important than ever.
2. A new social media platform will launch with massive media hype and exclusivity. Big influencer names will be the first to sign up. All your friends will be excited to sign up. By the time you finally get in, it will be so full of people trying to get business that it will be impossible for you to break through the noise.
3. A Chinese aircraft will be shot down in Taiwanese airspace, or a Taiwanese aircraft will be shot down in Chinese airspace, provoking the start of a cold war. But China will not start a full on invasion of Taiwan.
4. A handful of secondary school teachers and university lecturers will become breakout stars on YouTube. They’ll start an exodus of the best teachers away from the profession. Some universities will move to a mainly online degree.
5. India, Europe, Russia, China, Japan, the UAE and the US will launch more space craft, in a race to win the next space milestone. A base on the moon, vehicles sent to Mars, humans sent to Mars. There will be a tragedy in space but the space race will still continue at a pace.
6. At least one of the big tech giants will be broken up by government ruling, in the next two years. There will be uproar but the separate companies formed will become far bigger as a result.
7. The world will see extreme floods and high temperatures on a regular basis. Venice will have massive flooding. The Amazon forest will experience devastating wildfires.
8. Crypto currencies will remain volatile. Many people will make a lot of money. Many others will lose all their savings.
9. More and more people will drive electric vehicles. Harley Davidson lovers will be horrified at the thought of driving an electric vehicle—until they do and discover that they are cheaper, more powerful and more fun than gas powered vehicles. Then they’ll switch.
10. Covid vaccinations will become as routine as flu vaccinations for most people. There will come a moment when it’s hard to recall just how intense it was to live through a pandemic.