Mind the Gap
Understanding Why We Don't Understand
This offering unpacks the concept of a "generation gap". A generation is defined as people born roughly at the same time, during the same era in history, and is usually about 20 years in duration. Due to the increasing speed of change in the last century, in all areas of life, from politics to media and technology to family values, and the influence of mass media that exposes us to cultures and value systems vastly different from our own, there have never been greater divides between different generations than there are now. This offering will assist participants to understand why they don't understand people older and younger than themselves, and develop strategies to bridge these gaps.
There isn't a more pressing need in business today than an understanding of the generation gap, especially as it relates to recruiting and retaining "bright young things", and accessing the wisdom of the older generations. The theory itself is deceptively simple: The era in which a person is born has a lasting influence on their value system. This is their "normal" - and everyone else's worldview is "weird". It is this lack of understanding of different generations that leads to much of the conflict in workplaces, mis-matched marketing and the loss of the talented, bright young things.
The offering uses our standard "edutaining" approach, combining multimedia and humour with a relaxed style, to present a very serious message, focussing on an exploration of the eras from the 1930s to today, and how we can get the most out of each generation. It is based on years of research, sourced from different countries, and applied locally. In every country we present this offering, we do extensive work and research to link the underlying theory to the local situation. The amazing fact is that due to increasing globalisation over the past 100 years, most countries around the world have experienced similar forces at play at similar times, and these have had similar effects on the youth, producing similar value systems in different generations.
Outcomes
- Better relationships inside and outside the company, improved customer service, better advertising and communications, better understanding and use of people, value added for families and personal life.
Duration Possibilities
This offering is available in a variety of formats, including the following:
- 20 minute keynote presentation
- 60 minute, edutaining presentation
- 90 minute, edutaining presentation (this is the optimum duration for a presentation)
- 2 hour, interactive seminar
- 4 hour, interactive workshop
- Full day workshop
- Ongoing GameBreaking process consulting
Bright Young Things
Who they are, what they want, and how you can get the best out of them
The "Bright Young Things" (BYT's) are the new generation of customers and employees that your company has to deal with. They are as difficult to herd as cats, and most companies don't know how to keep them. This presentation looks at these BYT's, at why they've got such a different value set, at who they are, what they want, and then ends with a highly practical and implementable framework for actually doing something about it.
Historically, the contract between employer and employee involved an exchange of 'loyalty for security'. Today's rapidly changing business environment has made the promise of security a thing of the past. This has resulted in a growing lack of loyalty amongst employees in many companies today. A new contract is needed. This presentation offers a fresh and dynamic look at the elements required to write this new contract.
Using documented examples from great companies like, South West Airlines, Ferrari, Oakley, 3M amongst others, this presentation explores four essential elements deemed essential for the 'new contract'; namely, Belonging, Mastery, Independence/Responsibility and Generosity. This very practical framework can be applied at both corporate and individual levels and is offered in a variety of participative workshops lasting from 60 minutes to a full day, or even an ongoing intervention. The 'take home' benefits for those attending are enormous. This will become something that the individual will be able to apply throughout their entire life.
Outcomes
- A better working environment, with strong staff support and motivation
- Understanding of specific action steps required to attract, retain, nurture and motivate the "bright young things"
- Better understanding of the emerging connection economy environment
- Practical tips and steps to change the work environment
Duration Possibilities
This offering is available in a variety of formats, including the following:
- 20 minute keynote presentation
- 60 minute, edutaining presentation
- 90 minute, edutaining presentation (this is the optimum duration for a presentation)
- 2 hour, interactive seminar
- 4 hour, interactive workshop
- Full day workshop
- Ongoing GameBreaking process consulting
Balancing Today and Tomorrow
Competitive advantage in a connection economy
The key question this presentation aims to answer is: what is the basis of competitive advantage in the 21st century? In virtually every industry, the competitors are becoming indistinguishable on the basis of product or service. What a company sells is becoming less and less of a competitive advantage. Competing companies offer the same stuff at about the same price and quality, to the same people, delivering through similar channels and advertising in the same media using similar techniques. And they even swap staff every few years. Innovation is not the competitive edge it used to be either. Even if one company comes up with the industry’s “next big thing”, their competitors will copy it within a matter of days (without the R&D costs). Competitive advantage is therefore less and less about what a company sells, and more and more about who a company is, and how it sells.
The world is currently experiencing a massive economic shift, from the information economy, to a connection economy. No sooner had we managed to get our heads around the shift from the Industrial era to the Information age - now we are asked to do it all over again! Futurists and scenario planners spend many hours explaining (or guesstimating) what is about to happen, and economists might tell us how. But not many people are able to take us behind the scenes and explain WHY. That's what Balancing Today and Tomorrow does.
The challenge has never been greater. Converging technologies impact not only our lives but also the way we do business. Leading self and leading within organizations are not what they used to be and trying to make sense of it all can be like negotiating the rush-hour traffic blindfolded. This dynamic presentation provides a comprehensive overview of past, present and future models of leadership and management - for self and organisations. Going right back to the first hunter-gatherer economies, we track the changes and change drivers that have driven history through the agricultural era, the industrial, the information age - and now, the emotion economy. By tracing the history of economic transitions through five major economic epochs, this offering highlights the nature of moments of transition in history. It gives an easy-to-understand, yet profound framework for understanding how we arrived where we are, and shows what the road ahead might look like. This framework forms the basis of much of our thinking at TomorrowToday, as it explains why the Connection Economy is unfolding, and gives some guidance as to how we should respond.
Outcomes
There is no better basis for a strategic planning session than this framework. It provides participants with a solid understanding of why some of the megatrends are happening, and what lies in the near future. It gives a strategic advantage to companies who want to service their clients better, and also attract and retain the best staff in their industry.
Although everyone in an organisation would understand this framework, it will have the most impact at senior management, leadership and strategy levels.
Duration Possibilities
This offering is available in a variety of formats, including the following:
- 20 minute keynote presentation
- 60 minute, edutaining presentation
- 90 minute, edutaining presentation (this is the optimum duration for a presentation)
- 2 hour, interactive seminar
- 4 hour, interactive workshop
- Full day workshop
- Ongoing GameBreaking process consulting
21st Century Leadership
by the author of Everything I Need to Know About Leadership I Learnt From The Kids
This presentation explores three essential areas (playgrounds) that leaders everywhere are compelled to explore if they are to provide effective leadership in the emerging Connection economy. As with any playground there are attractive options, potential dangers, daring challenges, spoken and unspoken rules, tears and laughter, tribes and loners. Then of course there is the need to get along with the other inhabitants!
Laced with an engaging, and often light-hearted, storytelling theme, this presentation by TomorrowToday.biz’s Director of Storytelling, Keith Coats, traces a path through each of the 3 playgrounds. Within each of these areas helpful frameworks are offered which will enable leaders make sense of their context and navigate the turbulent cauldron that is contemporary leadership. The frameworks in turn lead to the discovery of practical outcomes and applications. Reflecting on his own experiences as a father (of 3 children who are now teenagers), the experience of others, and his international experience as a consultant and leadership mentor, Keith brings amazing leadership insights to life. Using the re-emerging art of story telling as a basis, this presentation highlights the new trends in leadership, and presents a leadership framework for 21st century leaders.
Briefly, the 3 areas explored in the presentation are:
- What leaders everywhere need to see
- What leaders need to know
- What leaders everywhere need to be
This exciting presentation will not only inspire staff at all levels of the organisation, but also help them to understand the new styles of leadership required for success in the 21st century.
Outcomes
- Leaders will be motivated.
- They will identify the critical aspects of successful leadership in the 21st century, and understand the implications of some of the shifts taking place in the world at the moment.
- This is not only for existing leaders, but for staff (and customers) at all levels who may become leaders in this new economy.
Duration Possibilities
This offering is available in a variety of formats, including the following:
- 20 minute keynote presentation
- 60 minute, edutaining presentation
- 90 minute, edutaining presentation (this is the optimum duration for a presentation)
- 2 hour, interactive seminar
- 4 hour, interactive workshop
- Full day workshop
- Ongoing GameBreaking process consulting
Innovation UnManagement
There is a myth of innovation. In most industries, competing customers are watching each other so closely that any new "big thing" will be quickly copied by everyone (without the R&D costs). The Economist (Millennial edition, 1999) stated it thus: "Unlike cutting costs, or making an acquisition, innovation does not happen just because the chief executive wills it. It is confoundedly difficult to come up with new ideas year in, year out – especially brilliant ones. Underneath the gurus’ diagrams and charts, most of the available answers seem to focus on two strengths that are difficult to create by diktat: a culture that looks for new ideas, and leaders who know the ones to back.”
This is the key to innovation - creating a culture of innovation within the organisation. This presentation
Gary Hamel (In Innovation Now) says, "Let me return to my biological metaphor. The problem for many slow-growing companies is that they possess a very low corporate sperm count. Unlike those wacky investors out there in Silicon Valley, they aren't experimenting with enough new ideas to have any real hope of stumbling upon a few that prove to be truly transformational. Many CEOs seem to posses a vain hope that a handful of really smart senior execs, aided by a few even smarter consultants, can quickly land on the one really big idea with the power to revive corporate fortunes. They don't want millions of sperm--what a waste. They're looking for the one giant sperm that will do it all. Unfortunately, biology doesn't work this way, and neither does innovation."
Outcomes
- Understanding of the need for a culture of innovation
- Motivation to get everyone involved in the process of innovation
Duration Possibilities
This offering is available in a variety of formats, including the following:
- 20 minute keynote presentation
- 60 minute, edutaining presentation
- 90 minute, edutaining presentation (this is the optimum duration for a presentation)
- 2 hour, interactive seminar
- 4 hour, interactive workshop
- Full day workshop
- Ongoing GameBreaking process consulting
The World of Women
Why women will rule the world, and what we should all do about it
This offering traces the world’s economic development right the way back to the hunter-gatherers. We show the progressive effect of different technologies, and how at critical moments, these forced radical adjustments in society, values, business and trade. We highlight the major eras, namely: hunter-gatherer, agrarian, industrial, information, and show that all signs indicate that we are currently transitioning through another radical shift.
What is emerging is a “connection economy”, where relationships, emotional intelligence, co-operation, networking and “humanity” will quickly become the most important competencies in business. In this environment, the key competitive advantage a company will have is its ability to attract, retain and nurture talented employees. This presentation show why this is happening and concludes with a list of critical characteristics for anyone wanting to be successful, especially for leaders.
Based on our Balancing Today and Tomorrow presentation, this offering focuses on the role women have played (or not) during humankind's history. It shows that women have been excluded from leadership in a variety of ways, from the hunter-gatherers, to the land owning farmers and the "old boys club" Industrial era. It wasn't until the dawning of the Information era (and the invention of the Pill) that women truly found a place in the working world. Woven into the fabric of this presentation is an important message about women. It demonstrates that the emerging connection economy is ready-made for women. The leadership characteristics required to make a success in this new reality are very much “feminine” characteristics. In fact, recent advances in medicine and biotechnology will shortly allow women to conceive and give birth with no man involved. Not even a sperm donor. Some futurists predict that this could spark a massive backlash against male domination. We're not convinced, but the idea is intriguing nonetheless.
As we look at the workplace of today, and the emerging workplace of the future, women must understand the unique perspective they bring. Too many women try to succeed in the workplace by acting like men, and try to take men on at their own game - the power-based, competitive, testosterone-filled, dog-eat-dog, workaholic game. It’s not that they can’t compete – if they want to, they can. We argue its that they shouldn’t compete. Rather, women should see their function as changing the workplace to exhibit more feminine characteristics. This is the challenge that lies ahead for businesses - and it is one that they MUST understand and respond to. Today's generation of young employees and customers demand nothing less.
The message of this presentation is not just about women, nor is it only for women. It is about the characteristics of human beings who will succeed in the world of tomorrow. Women have a head start, but men are not excluded. In fact, they must not be excluded, since this new reality will impact everyone, in every industry.
Outcomes
- A better understanding of the connection/emotion economy, and its real implications.
- Renewed motivation to champion and support the role of women in the workplace.
- An understanding of the leadership characteristics required for 21st century success.
Duration Possibilities
This offering is available in a variety of formats, including the following:
- 20 minute keynote presentation
- 60 minute, edutaining presentation
- 90 minute, edutaining presentation (this is the optimum duration for a presentation)
- 2 hour, interactive seminar
- 4 hour, interactive workshop
- Full day workshop
- Ongoing Game Breaking process consulting
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