Think Forward: Conversations with Futurists, Innovators and Big Thinkers

Steve Fisher explores super shifts—the fundamental forces reshaping our world that are deeper and more transformative than trends. These massive systemic changes affect industries, economies, and entire societies, representing structural shifts that redefine what's possible rather than merely improving what exists. • Super shifts differ from trends by being structural, not superficial—they ch...

We're entering the Age of Intelligence, where the convergence of human, artificial, and networked intelligence is reshaping everything from work to human identity. This episode explores nine interconnected "super shifts" that are fundamentally transforming our world and introduces how the upcoming Transform Model will help navigate this new era. • The Age of Intelligence marks a shi...

We've reached a milestone in our Foundations in Foresight series, making this the perfect time to reflect on how our thinking about the future has evolved and what to do with all we've learned. • Reflecting on the shift from seeing the future as overwhelming or distant to actively making sense of change • Building futures thinking into daily practice through better questions and tracking...

We explore why thinking of the future as a single destination is a dangerous habit and how to break it. Understanding multiple possible futures is essential for making better decisions and navigating uncertainty in business, careers, and life. • The future isn't a fixed point but a spectrum of possibilities • Four categories to understand: possible, plausible, probable, and preferable futures...

Understanding the five major forces driving change—technology, economics, demographics, environment, and politics—helps us anticipate shifts before they become obvious to everyone else. Steve Fisher explains how to move from reactive to proactive thinking by examining what's beneath surface-level trends. • Technology changes everything but its impact depends on how people use it, not just wha...

Steve Fisher explores how cognitive biases affect our ability to think about and prepare for the future, showing why our brains take mental shortcuts that feel like common sense but often lead us astray. • Confirmation bias leads us to seek information that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence • Status quo bias makes us assume things will continue as they are today,...

Empathy emerges as a critical but often overlooked skill in futures thinking that allows us to see beyond our own perspectives and imagine how different people will experience tomorrow's world. This strategic advantage helps us anticipate change more effectively, design more inclusive solutions, and avoid the blind spots that come from viewing the future through a single lens. • Different bac...

Metaphors do more than describe reality—they actively shape our thinking and decision-making, especially when we contemplate the future. The words and images we use to discuss technological progress, business disruption, and time management fundamentally influence how we prepare for tomorrow and the actions we take today. • Humans think in images and metaphors rather than numbers or words • Common...

We explore the unpredictable, high-impact events known as Black Swans and Wild Cards that transform industries and everyday life overnight. Through examining historical examples and successful adaptation strategies, we uncover how to build resilience for unexpected disruptions even when we can't predict their exact timing or form. • Black Swans: unexpected events with massive impact that only...

Curiosity powers futures thinking by enabling us to see possibilities and spot disruptions before they happen, making it an essential skill rather than just an inherent personality trait.  • Curiosity naturally diminishes as we age, leading to dangerous assumptions about permanence in a rapidly changing world • The question "What if?" unlocks new futures and drives transformation – from...

Weak signals are early indicators of change that can help us predict future trends before they become mainstream, offering competitive advantages to those who learn to spot them effectively. • Weak signals are small emerging shifts that haven't hit mainstream yet but could become significant trends • Examples include Airbnb (from couch-surfing to reshaping travel) and TikTok (from lip-syncing...

We tackle the crucial business strategy question of distinguishing between trends and fads, providing a framework to prevent costly missteps while capturing genuine opportunities for growth. Steve Fisher explains the fundamental differences and offers practical tools to separate hype from meaningful change. • Trends are like tides (lasting, impactful) while fads are like waves (flashy but temporar...

This reflection episode marks a pivotal moment in our foresight journey, inviting you to integrate everything we've learned about futures thinking and apply it to your own context. • Reviewing key concepts from the first nine episodes: multiple futures thinking, breaking free from default thinking, and spotting weak signals • Reflection Exercise 1: Assess where you are in your foresight journ...

Futures thinking isn't just about looking ahead—it's about developing mental habits that help you see change before it happens and act on it meaningfully.  • The future isn't predetermined—it's something you can actively shape rather than something that happens to you • Move from asking "what will happen" to "what could happen" by exploring multiple possible...

Systems thinking revolutionizes problem-solving by helping us see interconnections instead of isolated parts. This framework offers powerful tools for navigating complexity and avoiding unintended consequences when tackling challenges in business, policy, and everyday life. • Most people think linearly (A causes B, B causes C), which works for simple problems but fails with complex issues • System...

We dive into the STEEP framework, a powerful tool that helps track and categorize social, technological, economic, environmental, and political changes to make sense of the chaos of change happening around us. • STEEP stands for Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, and Political - five key categories for structured futures thinking • Social trends include shifting demographics, cultural...

Signals of change are early indicators revealing emerging shifts that could evolve into major trends or societal transformations, and recognizing them early provides a competitive advantage by allowing you to adapt and innovate before disruption occurs. • Signals appear as fringe ideas, experimental technologies, niche behaviors, and "whispers of the future" • Finding signals requires lo...

We explore how unexamined assumptions can derail business strategies and future planning, while providing practical techniques to identify and challenge these hidden mental shortcuts. • Assumptions are the invisible rules and mental shortcuts we use to navigate the world without analyzing everything from scratch • Business assumptions (like customer behaviors and competitor actions) can become dan...

Futures literacy, an essential skill for the 21st century, helps us make sense of uncertainty, navigate change, and think beyond limitations by imagining and exploring different possible futures. This cognitive ability functions like learning a language—the language of change—where with practice, we become better at recognizing patterns, adapting to uncertainty, and making smarter long-term decisi...

Foresight isn't about predicting the future—it's about exploring multiple possible futures to better prepare for uncertainty. Most predictions fail because the world is complex and change doesn't happen in a straight line. • Prediction assumes one certain future while foresight explores multiple possibilities • Most predictions fail due to the complexity of our world and non-linear...

Foresight is the ability to explore multiple possible futures rather than predict one exact outcome. We differentiate this practical approach from fortune-telling and explain why developing foresight is essential in our rapidly changing world. • Foresight involves anticipating change, preparing for possibilities, and making better decisions today • Unlike prediction, foresight recognizes there are...

Foundations in Foresight is a new series designed to introduce the fundamentals of futures thinking in bite-sized episodes. Steve Fisher explains how foresight isn't about predicting a single future but preparing for multiple possibilities so you're ready no matter what happens. • New prequel series to the Think Forward show with short 5-7 minute episodes • Focuses on teaching practical...

Welcome to the Think Forward podcast. This is a trailer introducing the show. We will have great conversations with futurists, innovators, big thinkers, and anyone trying to shape tomorrow. We also plan to dive deep into trends, signals, and the drivers shaping our future. I will also use this forum to explain the tools and methods used by futurists and how you can use it in your work. Join us on...