One thing often overlooked in the numerous descriptions of what makes a good futurist is the personal worldview of those doing trend hunting, pattern making, scenario writing, and speculative designing. Some of us are more pessimistic about the future; others lean toward believing in positive possibilities and outcomes. Some believe in the unlimited potential of humanity, while others see people as life’s biggest problem. Of course, there are many philosophical shades in-between these extremes. Still, one thing rings true no matter what the “futures thinker” believes—the practitioner’s worldview highly influences foresight.
This dilemma — practicing robust foresight while holding personal worldviews — is addressed through various foresight methodologies and the bigger idea that foresight should always be a team sport. Many voices are needed for us to have a multi-faceted view of the future, and this means that we must act cooperatively, collaboratively, and co-creatively to overcome our biases and assumptions about the many alternative possibilities that lay before us.
Such a shift in how we see the world around us and act accordingly requires a vastly different futures environment acronym than the seemingly scary VUCAs, TUNAs, and BANIs that drive our present outlook. Since we’ve learned that we must embrace the change, the uncertainty, and the exponential complexity as elements of unlimited creativity rather than features of torment, it only makes sense that our new acronym would reflect a life-giving dynamism while including the various qualities that cultivate these potential realities. For this reason, I propose that we acquaint ourselves with the idea of being ALIVE: Abductive, Liminal, Interconnected, Vibrant, and Emergent. Those qualities may differ significantly from those we are used to presenting when describing the world around us. However, this should be our reaction to a VUCA world if we want to move from extractive to generative futures.
By downloading this free eBook, learn more about each element of ALIVE to better understand how they can help us embrace new mindsets of transformation in our organizations, governments, and society.
