IBM just published their 2015  global C-Suite study – and it points clearly in one direction: companies and their leaders are spending more time and resources on contemplating their future – and they are turning to external thought-leaders for advise. I can only confirm that – the interest in future-discovery has skyrocketed (now all I have to worry about is some kind of oracle bot automating what I do… probably also supplied by IBM:)

Similarly, most CxOs turn to a limited range of external agents for help. Their first port of 
call is thought leaders.Roughly half also use customer feedback and market research, as well as watching their competitors. But the fact that only half draw on their customers for input is surprising. What’s almost equally remarkable is that so few executives look to companies in adjacent industries or to social media, even though these sources can cast a completely different light on things.  Form your own futures squad: Set up a specialist forecasting team, equipped with the right technologies and skills. Recent research shows people trained to use probabilistic reasoning techniques, and to recognize and eliminate bias, produce better forecasts. Working in teams likewise increases the odds of predicting the future accurately. Consider designating someone in the team specifically to scan for new technologies and monitor the marketplace.

Download the study here or use: IBM redefining top GBE03695USEN

German-speaking readers: read Netzökonom for similar coverage 

Full disclosure: I have done some speaking engagements for IBM in the past – but this post is unrelated to my relationship with IBM.

https://youtu.be/Sh428ry1rlE