Graeme Codrington
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Category:
Speaker
Location:
Johannesburg South Africa
Preferred Language:
English
Tags:
Author,Businessman,Inspiration,Leadership,motivation,Professional Speaker,South Africa,Trend analyst
Profile:
Considered to be one of the best international keynote speakers, Dr Graeme Codrington is an expert on the future of work and the disruptive forces that are shaping it. His presentations and programmes give his clients a clear vision of the future, a shared vocabulary for engaging with disruptive change and an ability to build tomorrow’s competitive advantage today. He helps his clients gain competitive advantage by understanding what is changing – and why – in their industries. His full-time research team is constantly tracking trends and working to develop presentations, strategic insights and board advisory services that ensure Graeme maintains his reputation as one of the world’s leading futurists and platform speakers.
He is a keynote presenter, author, futurist, facilitator and strategy consultant working across multiple industries and sectors. His unique style blends cutting-edge research, thought leading insights with humour and multimedia-driven presentations and workshops.
He has a particular interest in trends affecting how people live, work, interact and connect with each other. He speaks on the TIDES of change – the five disruptive forces shaping the new world of work in the next decade: Technology, Institutional change, Demographics, the Environment and shifting Social values.
Speaking internationally to over 100,000 people in about 20 different countries every year, he has shared the platform with the likes of Edward de Bono, Markus Buckingham, Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom, W. Chan Kim, Allan Pease, Sir Ken Robinson and Neil Armstrong. He has won numerous awards for his speaking and facilitation, including ‘Speaker of the Year’ by the Academy for Chief Executives, has attained the Global Speaker Federation’s ‘Certified Speaking Professional’ qualification and is a Fellow of the Professional Speaker’s Association. His client list includes some of the world’s top companies, and CEOs invite him back time after time to share his latest insights and help them and their teams gain a clear understanding of how to successfully prepare for the future.
Graeme’s breadth of knowledge and expertise makes him highly relevant in today’s rapidly evolving business world. Along with his formal qualifications and research credentials, he has a wide range of business experience. He did Chartered Accountancy articles at KPMG, was involved in an IT startup, has been a professional musician, a strategy consultant and is now a full-time speaker, facilitator and author.
Graeme works from bases in London, Johannesburg and Toronto, presenting and facilitating on every continent around the world. As a keynote presenter and facilitator, he uses multimedia, a gently rebuking humour and engaging style to make his insights accessible and engaging to over 100,000 people in more than 20 countries every year.
He is a keynote presenter, author, futurist, facilitator and strategy consultant working across multiple industries and sectors. His unique style blends cutting-edge research, thought leading insights with humour and multimedia-driven presentations and workshops.
He has a particular interest in trends affecting how people live, work, interact and connect with each other. He speaks on the TIDES of change – the five disruptive forces shaping the new world of work in the next decade: Technology, Institutional change, Demographics, the Environment and shifting Social values.
Speaking internationally to over 100,000 people in about 20 different countries every year, he has shared the platform with the likes of Edward de Bono, Markus Buckingham, Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom, W. Chan Kim, Allan Pease, Sir Ken Robinson and Neil Armstrong. He has won numerous awards for his speaking and facilitation, including ‘Speaker of the Year’ by the Academy for Chief Executives, has attained the Global Speaker Federation’s ‘Certified Speaking Professional’ qualification and is a Fellow of the Professional Speaker’s Association. His client list includes some of the world’s top companies, and CEOs invite him back time after time to share his latest insights and help them and their teams gain a clear understanding of how to successfully prepare for the future.
Graeme’s breadth of knowledge and expertise makes him highly relevant in today’s rapidly evolving business world. Along with his formal qualifications and research credentials, he has a wide range of business experience. He did Chartered Accountancy articles at KPMG, was involved in an IT startup, has been a professional musician, a strategy consultant and is now a full-time speaker, facilitator and author.
Graeme works from bases in London, Johannesburg and Toronto, presenting and facilitating on every continent around the world. As a keynote presenter and facilitator, he uses multimedia, a gently rebuking humour and engaging style to make his insights accessible and engaging to over 100,000 people in more than 20 countries every year.
Considered to be one of the best international keynote speakers, Dr Graeme Codrington is an expert on the future of work and the disruptive forces that are shaping it. His presentations and programmes give his clients a clear vision of the future, a shared vocabulary for engaging with disruptive change and an ability to build tomorrow’s competitive advantage today. He helps his clients gain competitive advantage by understanding what is changing – and why – in their industries.
Synopsis:
PRESENTATIONS by Dr. Graeme Codrington
1. South Africa - Today and Tomorrow
2. Social Media and the Leadership Agenda - EXECUTIVE PROGRAMME
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence, it is to act with yesterday’s logic.” - Peter Drucker
We believe that the key-defining factor for successful leaders in the 21st century is the ability to learn, grow and change. This requires a shift from leaders as ‘authoritative experts’ to ‘adaptive leadership’. In essence, we want to help leaders develop the ability and confidence to know what to do when no-one else does. If the world has changed, we need to do things differently; and there is no question that the world has changed and continues to change. Just as social media has changed the way consumers communicate, our employees are also changing their communication preferences and our customers are expecting more social engagement. Are your systems and mindsets geared up for this shift in business?
It is because of these changes and shifts that Social Media and the Leadership Agenda has been designed - a program to develop and challenge the business strategy, processes and the thinking within the executive team. This program is designed to get participants excited about the New World of Work by looking at what social media and social business can do to grow your staff and expand your business.
Our packaged program includes the following elements:
1. A Keynote Presentation to facilitate in the concept of changing minds - leading to maintain momentum; maximize buy in and consolidate learning.
2. Individual sessions are to facilitate in changing behaviour. These can be conversations and/or coaching sessions for a hands on opportunity to gain new insights, strategise, practise new skills, problem solve, and consolidate knowledge.
Our competitive advantage today Social Media and the Leadership Agenda Executive Programme Logistically how does the package work?
• A 45 minute keynote presentation to the executive committee or board, followed by a 15 minute questions and answer time.
• 3 Days (over a 3 month time frame) for one-on-one hourly ‘coaching’ sessions between the members of the executive team and our Social Business consultant.
These hourly sessions can be used to meet the needs of each individual team member, or to guide them through the various options and opportunities within their business areas. Examples of how this time could be used include social business coaching; personal help / advice with social media - either from a strategy aspect, or a technical one; marketing team strategy; sales strategy; and general guidance and feedback from our expert in social business.
3. How to live in Revolutionary times
We are living during a social revolution, as important and influential as the Industrial Revolution. New disruptive business models and technologies are emerging at ferocious speed, changing entire industries forever and threatening even the greatest companies. Business leaders are fast discovering that the rules for success today bear scant relation to those applicable barely a decade ago. What worked in the past is no longer a recipe for success today. ‘Sticking to your knitting’ and ‘don’t break what’s not broken’ are business maxims that no longer deliver.
To be successful in today’s savagely competitive and complex world, leaders need to break their business model or reinvent their industry dynamics before disruptive competitors do so. This may sound logical but the realities required for such extensive change are frightening, risky and daunting, even for the most courageous of leaders. Different times require different scripts.
Following extensive research TomorrowToday has developed a framework to assist leaders with their thinking, planning, organisational development and strategies as they set forth on a new adventure into the unknown. The new business SCRIPTS is an acronym and stands for Storytelling, Collaboration Rewards, Intelligence, People, Trust and Strategy and is designed to assist leaders in rethinking what it takes to be successful in the new world of work.
Overview of the SCRIPTS:
S – Stands for Storytelling (Quest)
•The French adventurer and explorer Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said "If you want to build a flotilla of ships, you don't sit around talking about carpentry. No, you need to set people's souls ablaze with visions of exploring distant shores."
•Very few companies set people’s souls ablaze rather they bore them with visions and missions of being the biggest, the best and delivering more profits for shareholders. When what people really want is to contribute and be part of a higher calling, something meaningful.
•Storytelling is not about marketing or communicating better what you do. It’s about the raison d'etre, it’s about the organisation’s higher calling, or the term we prefer using at TomorrowToday, the company’s quest.
•The new business SCRIPTS explores how the power of quests is a key ingredient for success in the new connection economy and sets the foundation for strategy and organisational design.
C – Stands For Collaboration
•The world is now too complex to go it alone. As Seth Godin puts it so eloquently: The division of labour and magnitude of outsourcing means that today there is not a single person alive in the world who knows how to manufacture a computer mouse from start to finish, let alone a twinkie!
•Our extensive research reveals the emergence of a new extremely powerful collaborative model built around power platforms or eco-hubs that organise loosely structured groups of people allowing them to work together electronically in surprisingly effective ways.
•Emerging from these power platforms are innovative new business models defining the new rules for competitive power and influence. We are only just beginning to understand exactly how powerful these models are and the leverage they are able to exploit.
•Businesses like Facebook, Amazon, eBay, Groupon. iTunes and Google, to name but a few of the giants leveraging the power of this new power-platforms business model. Terms like crowd-sourcing, wisdom of crowds, peer production, and wikinomics are being used to describe these new models.
•We explore natural systems like coral reefs and learn lessons from the natural world on how best to collaborate.
R – stands for Rewards and Rules
•To build organisations that are fit for the future leaders need to examine two centre stays of their organisations; firstly, the rules and procedures that got them to where they are today; and secondly, leaders need to reinvent how they reward the creation of value.
•Rules
Many rules are faceless, out dated and a legacy of the old way of doing things.
Every rule needs an ‘owner’ - a person who is willing to champion it and influence people of its importance and relevance to the success of the organisation.
Leaders need to declare war on ‘dumb faceless bureaucratic rules’.
•Rewards
Hard nose bottom line focused businesses like GE, Nestle, Google, IBM, John Lewis Partnership and Walmart are recognising the power of sharing value as a business model.
We explore and share our latest research findings of how businesses can increase profits by creating value for society and not just value for shareholders.
“Creating Shared Value will drive the next wave of innovation and productivity growth in the global economy.” Michael Porter, Harvard
I – Stands for Intelligence (Collective)
•As we move from the information economy into a creative and design economy, there is a deluge of information resulting in workforce paralysis. Business leaders need to take information and knowledge and turn it into intelligence that flows unhindered throughout the value chain and build relentless innovation into business.
•We explore how to create smart organisations that respond with precision and agility by focusing on collective intelligence.
P – Stands for People
•People remain an untapped competitive advantage.
•Annual cost of disengaged workers: UK - £30 billion and US – £250 billion.
•The power of tribes is an important way to improve engagement.
T – Stands for Transparency and Trust
•According to CNN only 13% of people think the reputation of businesses is good and research by the Harvard Business Review reveals that only 21% believe executives contribute a lot to society.
Companies can also no longer hide the truth.
•In addition the explosion of social media means that businesses have never been more transparent than they are today.
•Trust is now a sustainable competitive advantage.
S – Strategy and Speed
•Market and customer needs change so quickly now that strategies are implemented too late to be effective. Speed to market is now a competitive advantage.
•Research reveals that faster companies have (on average) 40% higher sales growth and 52% higher operating profits than slower companies.
•What makes the difference is: Clarity – A clear quest, Unity – Shared values of the tribe and; Agility – leveraging the power and adaptability of collaborative platforms.
•Strategy and speed is an aim and outcome of getting all the other elements of the new business scripts aligned and operating in unison.
•When people understand and are motivated by the quest; collaboration becomes self managed and adaptable; when results are based on shared value tribes of passionate people, both inside and outside the organization, combine to strengthen delivery and through collective intelligence and power of crowds deliver strategy at speeds faster than competitors.
SCRIPTS is a framework designed to help leaders rethink their own scripts, business models and strategies so that they can future proof their organisations and build businesses that are fit for people and fit for the future The new Business SCRIPTS uncovers the new rules for business success in a fast paced, complex world. In this presentation and/or workshop, the audience will be encouraged to think "outside of the box" and re-imagine fundamental management practices. SCRIPTS is a framework created to assist leaders with identifying what actions they need to take to be successful in the future world of work.
4. LEADING INNOVATION: Creating and sustaining a culture of innovation in any organisation
Almost every organisation in the world lists ‘innovation’ as a core value or key objective, and yet there is very little innovation on show as a result. The simple reality is that even though they have deep pockets and talented people, when most organisations come up with something new that captures their imagination they get their people working on it within the types of organisational structures (such as functional teams) that were designed to surmount old challenges – not ones that the new venture will face. This session is not about the mechanics of creativity of innovation, nor is it about the processes required to implement innovative ideas. Rather, it is about the leadership imperative to create the culture that ensures innovation is both continuous and embedded in the organisation. It challenges organisations to consider the resources, processes, values and leadership support given to innovation, and presents a mindset that will help companies actually achieve their stated goals.
5. LEADING DIVERSITY: The significant value of being different ‘for’ and not just different ‘from’ each other
Difference matters. While the world is flatter and superficially more homogenous, surprisingly our differences have become increasingly important. The 21st century challenge for leaders is not how to manage or cope with difference, but how to leverage and lead diversity. Diversity is both an asset and a liability. When harnessed successfully, difference fosters innovation, develops resilience, boosts productivity, enables problem solving, and enhances morale in the workplace. When mishandled, difference results in communication breakdowns, misunderstanding and conflict, that can cripple everything from small teams to global business negotiations – this is mere variety. The objective of this programme is to make diversity a core strength for you.
6. IMPLEMENTING STRATEGY @ speed: Four essential characteristics of organisations that will be successful in turbulent times
As the world gets more and more complex and turbulent, the success of any organisation increasingly depends on their ability to develop and implement strategies – at speed. To do this, organisations need to keep their defining values in tact and steer towards the destination defined by their organisation’s vision, while at the same time learning how to constantly develop and implement new and adapted ways of reaching their goals. We don’t have roadmaps with a set of directions anymore, but we can develop a GPS ‘satnav’ ability to ‘recalculate’ our routes to success. Implementing strategy @ speed is a model developed from the combined findings of significant research projects and the experience of the TomorrowToday strategy consulting team. It helps leaders focus on four key factors and develop the capabilities their organisations need in order to be successful in a fast-paced and turbulent world.
7.HANNAH'S RULES - Eco theme
The Rise of the Ethical Consumer: Differentiating yourself by making a difference in a chaotic world
A new generation of "ethical consumers" are starting to demand more than just great products and services at fair prices - they also increasingly require transparency, environmental care, social responsibility, diversity and a host of other characteristics in the companies they buy from. They will be demanding these from their employers in the future, too.
The "symptoms" of this shift can be seen in issues like triple bottom line reporting, environmental policies, fair trade initiatives, demands for increased information about where products are made and for more policing of global trade, employment practices, and much more. Many of the reasons companies are facing a new "age of accountability" are familiar, but it is useful to see them pulled together. These include the "flattening" of global economics, a shared sense of vulnerability fostered by climate change and natural disasters and increasing violence, coupled with the awesome power global corporations have amassed. Companies, governments and even individuals increasingly live in a goldfish bowl - constantly watched, with increased exposure through networks of business partners and global supply chains, and are required to respond to the campaigns mounted by lawyers, non-governmental organisations and shareholder activists.
These issues have become big talking points on the platforms of the world, with everyone from Oscar-winning "ex-next-Presidents" to academics and religious leaders taking the stage to present their views. But very few of these presentations grab the imagination like TomorrowToday is able to.
With our standard mix of multimedia, humour and insight, TomorrowToday presents a powerful and playful presentation on the four major problems facing the world today, and what individuals, companies and countries can do to address these. But we go beyond the hype and stats. We talk about the imperative driving these issues. We will show you why your company MUST respond, and HOW it can. We provide practical insights and take-away value for companies and individuals alike. We also look at the business opportunities that this new era offers.
This presentation will help you to see your company - your product offerings, your brand, your reputation, your leaders, your people and your future - through the eyes of your future consumers and staff, and show how to connect with them successfully. This is not another "greenie" admonishment for business to take its responsibilities more seriously. The presentation and workshops that go with it have an upbeat message that is being understood by the world's leading companies: it makes financial sense to anticipate and respond to society's emerging demands. Research is already proving that the sustainable company is likely to be highly profitable. By applying "Hannah's Rules", you'll ensure a sustainable competitive advantage - securing your place as a leader in your industry - now, in 2020, and beyond.
8. TheTides of Change
The recent financial crisis has been more than just an economic downturn. Major shifts are taking place in almost every industry around the world as new rules for success and failure are written. History tells us that the major winners and losers of a recession actually emerge only in the aftermath of the downturn – as the upturn begins. We therefore need to prepare ourselves for a decade of turbulence as we live with the after shocks of the “Great Recession”.
This seminar is designed to provide insights into five disruptive forces that are set to change the world of work in the next decade. Besides these insights, the key outcome of the session is that participants understand the need to develop strategic responsiveness skills in their people at every level of the organisation. We do this by providing a framework to help you and your team analyze your context on an ongoing basis, and show you how to adapt to a constantly changing world.
The most successful companies in the next few years will be those that find ways to be strategically responsive. To do this, it is important that everyone – at every level of the organisation – has an understanding of the forces that will be shaping the next decade. Only then can they contribute meaningfully to your company’s success. You can develop these insights through regular analysis of your environment, strategic conversations throughout your organisation with all of your people, and helping each of them discover their personal role in achieving the company’s strategy. Their understanding of the strategic landscape is essential for problem solving, creativity, innovation and the proactive identification of opportunities and threats in your industry and market.
The five forces that will disrupt industries in the next decade are: Technology, Institutional upheaval, changing Demographics, the Environment and shifting Societal values. These are the T.I.D.E.S. of change.
This workshop includes well researched insights into the near future, packaged together with key trends, relevant and interesting facts, case studies and multi-media clips, and lots of opportunity for discussion. This session will provide the context necessary for you to set a strategic agenda that will ensure your success in the next decade. It has application for your organisation, your department and your personal career development.
It is a guaranteed paradigm shaker and conversation starter as you and your team develop your strategies. The content challenges commonly held assumptions about business and how the world works. Consequently, it invites strategic insights, understanding and discussion, and is laced with a practicality and a gently rebuking humour that makes it immediately applicable and keeps participants thoroughly engaged throughout.
9. Bridging the Digital Divide (Navigating the information economy in a new world of work)
We live and work in a fast moving world flooded with information – it’s not only faster but also more complex and more interconnected than ever before. The biggest revolution we face in the next decade is a shift in how we deal with information, and most companies are battling to keep up. Yet, today’s young people treat all of this as normal, and use multiple technologies to help them easily navigate this information-rich economy. Your success in the next few years depends on your understanding and ability to bridge the digital divides. This session will show you how information technology will revolutionise your business, and your life. Use it to connect more effectively with your younger, talented staff and customers. And ensure that you and your team are ready to make the most of the new world of work.
10. 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, focusing 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.
11. Balancing Today and Tomorrow – by Graeme Codrington
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!
And with even more devastating results. The previous shift saw the world move from 80% of people employed in agriculture and mining (in the mid 1800s) to about 50% (in the early 1900s) and to 2% today. Manufacturing peaked in the mid 1900s, employing about 40% - today it is around 10%. Today, nearly 80% of the world's population are employed in services and professions. This is due to change. It is estimated that 75% of all current white collar services jobs will disappear within the next 15 years. Some will be exported to cheaper economies (especially in the East), but most will just disappear forever - to be replaced by...
Well, that's the big question. Replaced by what? 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.
12. Future Perfect - Strategic Thinking and Action
In a world of constant change, you can often arrive at the end point of a process of implementing a strategic plan, and discover that "there" isn't there anymore. The goalposts have shifted, and you're still behind. The only real solution is to be the capacity for ongoing strategic thinking and action into your organisation's DNA.
We live in a world where constant change is both a cliché and an understatement. Change, change, change. You've heard enough consultants pushing this mantra to last your lifetime. Yet, nothing you try seems good enough. And no matter how fast you move, you always seem a step or two behind. Projects take longer, with ever-increasing complexity, and ever-decreasing effectiveness. And change itself, an event we’re supposed to be “managing”, keeps drowning us in confusion and feelings of helplessness.
The problem is that innovation, the economic religion of the 21st century, is no longer enough to differentiate you from everyone else. Your competitors are watching you so closely, that any advantage you might gain by a breakthrough innovation is quickly copied, perfected and released – without all the pain and cost of the development. Nevertheless, innovation is still critical, and breakthrough innovations will continue to bring rich rewards for companies ready and willing to embrace change. What is required is something much more radical than mere innovation. It requires the embracing of dualities, the creation of chaos – selling the sacred cows and herding cats! But, in a world changing as fast as ours is, who can claim with any confidence that they know the future, to know what to change? Forecasting is a tough job in any environment. At the beginning of the 21st century it is virtually impossible. The more the world changes, the less appropriate it becomes to extrapolate from past experiences. In fact, one of the simplest ways to fail at the start of this new century is to simply improve past successes.
If we cannot learn from the past anymore, then we have to attempt to learn from the future. We need to use strategic inputs at critical stages in our thinking processes, and ensure that we constantly update our outlook for the future environment. The critical task in this process is to be supremely aware of your company's "passion" - not its vision or mission - its passion. Having established a tentative view of the future environment, a view of the future marketspace is fairly easy to create. But now the real heart of this approach: the question is not “how do we take our company and our products to that market?”, rather, “what type of company will best fulfill our passion statement, given that future possible market?”. This is a fundamentally different type of question. This question ignores current structures. It ignores current constraints. It ignores current products and services. It focuses solely on your primary value proposition – that description of your business that sets you apart from all your competitors. And it thrusts that into the future.
This offering will assist you and your strategy team to get to grips with a simple, yet powerfully effective tool, for building strategic thinking into the core of your company. It motivates and equips people to stay ahead of the curve of change. It is best done as a workshop with real strategy being discussed.
13. Mind over Money
Based on the best selling book by Graeme Codrington, Louis Fourie and Sue Grant-Marshall, this presentation takes a fresh look at personal financial planning, based on an understanding of generational attitudes in different lifestages. It combines the wisdom gained from over 60,000 interviews with wealthy people (and people who thought they were wealthy), with cutting edge research into generational theory, and the impact on personal value systems of the era in which a person is born.
The presentation shows why so many rich people can't people sleep at night. Only 7% of people can afford to retire and maintain their desired living standard. And for most people, the more they earn, the bigger their overdraft. This offering gives some answers, and helps people put a personal financial destiny plan in place.
South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, quoted our colleague, Graeme Codrington, this week while answering questions in Parliament on land expropriation.
Ramaphosa pointed to the words from a recent Facebook post where Graeme urges his fellow white South Africans to step back for a while "and listen" to the arguments about land reform.
You can read Graeme's full post below....
My white South African friends who wish to comment on this week’s decision of Parliament to investigate possibly changing the Constitution to expedite land expropriation without compensation, please remember that this is not the first time the South African government has taken land without paying for it. In fact, it’s at least the fifteenth time the government of South Africa has passed laws to take land. I provide a list below for helpful reference - these were the apartheid era land acts.
Please do us a favour: if your ancestors did not comment about the previous fifteen times the government took land (and I am guessing that, like mine, they did not), then right now would be a good time to be quiet for a bit and listen.
Not forever. Just for a bit. And then calmly contribute to the conversation over the next few weeks and months in an attempt to find a solution that helps everyone.
Also, before you comment on the issue, please read the preamble of the motion put to Parliament this week and tell us how you respond to the fact that the government land audit has found that less than 7% of land in South Africa is owned by private black individuals. No, seriously, please start any comments on this issue with your thoughts and feelings on that statistic.
Now, here is that list I was speaking about - white people, let’s own this a bit please; the government of SA has been taking land for a long time; you just don’t like it this time because for the first time its not white skinned people doing the taking:
• The Glen Grey act of 1894 (Under Cecil John Rhodes)
• The Native Land Act of 1913 (Act 27)
• The Transvaal Asiatic Land Tenure of 1930.
• The Riotous Assemblies Act 19 - 1930.
• The Asiatic Immigration Amendment Act of 1931.
• The Native Service Contracts Act of 1932.
• The Native Trust and Land Act of 1936 (Act 18)
• The Slums Act of 1934.
• The Development Trust and Land Act of 1936 (Act 18)
• The Rural Dealers Licensing Act of 1935.
• The Representation of Blacks Act 12 of 1936.
• The Black (Native) Laws Amendment Act 46 of 1937
• The Pegging Act of 1946- The group areas act of 1950 (Act. 41)
And PS, for those who always moan about "how far back do we have to go", all but the first two of these Acts were passed in my grandmother’s lifetime. She was born in Feb 1914. And she’s still alive. So, no, this isn’t going back too far.
******
PPS I suggest reading this as a start (he was referring to people reading this before commenting on his facebook post): https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/…/2018-02-28-parliament-hi…/
Also read this (especially Clause 8):
Here is the final wording of the motion passed in South Africa’s National Assembly on the 27 February 2018 on the Expropriation of land without compensation (as amended)
The House –
(1) notes that South Africa has a unique history of brutal dispossession of land from black people by the settler colonial white minority;
(2) further notes that land dispossession left an indelible mark on the social, political and economic landscape of the country, and has helped design a society based on exploitation of black people and sustenance of white domination;
(3) acknowledges that the African majority was only confined to 13% of the land in South Africa while whites owned 87% at the end of the apartheid regime in 1994;
(4) further acknowledges that the current land reform programme has been fraught with difficulties since its inception in 1994,and that the pace of land reform has been slow with only 8% of the land transferred back to black people since 1994;
(5) acknowledges that the recent land audit claims that black people own less than 2% of rural land, and less than 7% of urban land;
(6) Recognises that the current policy instruments, including the willing buyer willing seller policy, and other provisions of section 25 of the Constitution may be hindering effective land reform.;
[clause 7 removed in amendment]
(8) notes that in his State of the Nation Address , President Cyril Ramaphosa, in recognizing the original sin of land dispossession, made a commitment that Government would continue the land reform programme that entails expropriation of land without compensation, making use of all mechanisms at the disposal of the State, implemented in a manner that increases agricultural production, improves food security and ensures that the land is returned to those from whom it was taken under colonialism and apartheid and undertake a process of consultation to determine the modalities of the governing party resolution.";
(9) further notes that any amendment to the Constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation must go through a parliamentary process as Parliament is the only institution that can amend the Constitution; and
(10) with the concurrence of the National Council of Provinces instructs the Constitutional Review Committee to –
(a) review section 25 of the Constitution and other clauses where necessary to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation, and in the process conduct public hearings to get the views of ordinary South Africans, policy-makers, civil society organisations and academics, about the necessity of, and mechanisms for expropriating land without compensation;
(b) propose the necessary constitutional amendments where applicable with regards to the kind of future land tenure regime needed, and(c) report to the Assembly by no later than 30 August 2018.
Leading Difference Differently
The work that our team at TomorrowToday does on disruptive forces shaping the future of work has focused our attention on the issue of diversity. This is more than a compliance issue, or a social good or something that must be grudgingly done - it is becoming the source of strategic competitive advantage for companies and organisations that get it right. "Getting it right" means a significant mindset shift around diversity as we learn how to lead difference differently.
Build the Future Now - How to keep and engage your customers in a world of digital integration.
The new digital companies that have become household brands have tapped into some core values of the digital age. Learn how every company can – and must – do the same in order to be successful in the future.
The companies that are shaping the digital world in which we now live are growing at unprecedented rates and have an extraordinary influence on our lives and work. Apple, Samsung, Google, Facebook, Uber, PayPal, Airbnb, Amazon, Netflix and many others are integrating themselves into our lives, and at the same time changing our expectations of how the world around us should work.
To be successful and get ahead of your competitors, you need to integrate these new expectations into your customer – and staff – experiences. This is not just about finding ways to disrupt your industry, as these companies have all done, but rather focusing on what we can learn from way these digital world companies have connected with the values of this new era. These include such key factors as personalisation, ease of use, constant upgrading, simplification, always on, artificial intelligence, collaboration and the sharing economy, gamification and new approaches to trust based on transparency.
Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of the forces that are shaping the world we live in, a checklist of the factors that will make their business successful and a clear framework for evaluating and changing what they do to be successful in a digital, omnichannel world. It goes well beyond the now-commonplace conference question of “what will be the Uber of your industry” and looks at the underlying driving causes of success and failure of companies in the digital world we now live in.
This session will provide a framework for you and your team to analyse your customer experience, your staff experience and your strategy, to ensure it matches the emerging DNA of the digital age. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of what it will take to be successful, with carefully chosen examples and case studies to motivate you, and a clear picture of what you can do to contribute to this. Insightful, eye-opening and laced with humour, this session will forever change the way you and your team see the future.
1. South Africa - Today and Tomorrow
The trends that point to a brighter future, and what we can do to make it a reality
In South Africa, we find ourselves on the edge again. Two decades after our democracy was born it’s hard to leave our teenage years and head into adulthood. Like any young adult, we’re sensing the difficulty of change and making decisions that will secure our future. And it’s causing stress and strain right now.
But there is hope. Key trends and future forces point to a path that leads to success.
It will take effort from everyone and every part of society, but a successful South Africa is possible – in fact, it’s the most likely future scenario right now.
South Africa Today and Tomorrow is an inspiring presentation put together by the team at TomorrowToday, one of SA’s leading futurist consultancies and their team of trend strategists.
It looks at key economic and societal indicators, and what they tell us about where we are and where we’re going. It provides insight into what makes countries and societies succeed or fail. And inspires South Africans with practical ideas on how to work together for success.
2. Social Media and the Leadership Agenda - EXECUTIVE PROGRAMME
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence, it is to act with yesterday’s logic.” - Peter Drucker
We believe that the key-defining factor for successful leaders in the 21st century is the ability to learn, grow and change. This requires a shift from leaders as ‘authoritative experts’ to ‘adaptive leadership’. In essence, we want to help leaders develop the ability and confidence to know what to do when no-one else does. If the world has changed, we need to do things differently; and there is no question that the world has changed and continues to change. Just as social media has changed the way consumers communicate, our employees are also changing their communication preferences and our customers are expecting more social engagement. Are your systems and mindsets geared up for this shift in business?
It is because of these changes and shifts that Social Media and the Leadership Agenda has been designed - a program to develop and challenge the business strategy, processes and the thinking within the executive team. This program is designed to get participants excited about the New World of Work by looking at what social media and social business can do to grow your staff and expand your business.
Our packaged program includes the following elements:
1. A Keynote Presentation to facilitate in the concept of changing minds - leading to maintain momentum; maximize buy in and consolidate learning.
2. Individual sessions are to facilitate in changing behaviour. These can be conversations and/or coaching sessions for a hands on opportunity to gain new insights, strategise, practise new skills, problem solve, and consolidate knowledge.
Our competitive advantage today Social Media and the Leadership Agenda Executive Programme Logistically how does the package work?
• A 45 minute keynote presentation to the executive committee or board, followed by a 15 minute questions and answer time.
• 3 Days (over a 3 month time frame) for one-on-one hourly ‘coaching’ sessions between the members of the executive team and our Social Business consultant.
These hourly sessions can be used to meet the needs of each individual team member, or to guide them through the various options and opportunities within their business areas. Examples of how this time could be used include social business coaching; personal help / advice with social media - either from a strategy aspect, or a technical one; marketing team strategy; sales strategy; and general guidance and feedback from our expert in social business.
3. How to live in Revolutionary times
We are living during a social revolution, as important and influential as the Industrial Revolution. New disruptive business models and technologies are emerging at ferocious speed, changing entire industries forever and threatening even the greatest companies. Business leaders are fast discovering that the rules for success today bear scant relation to those applicable barely a decade ago. What worked in the past is no longer a recipe for success today. ‘Sticking to your knitting’ and ‘don’t break what’s not broken’ are business maxims that no longer deliver.
To be successful in today’s savagely competitive and complex world, leaders need to break their business model or reinvent their industry dynamics before disruptive competitors do so. This may sound logical but the realities required for such extensive change are frightening, risky and daunting, even for the most courageous of leaders. Different times require different scripts.
Following extensive research TomorrowToday has developed a framework to assist leaders with their thinking, planning, organisational development and strategies as they set forth on a new adventure into the unknown. The new business SCRIPTS is an acronym and stands for Storytelling, Collaboration Rewards, Intelligence, People, Trust and Strategy and is designed to assist leaders in rethinking what it takes to be successful in the new world of work.
Overview of the SCRIPTS:
S – Stands for Storytelling (Quest)
•The French adventurer and explorer Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said "If you want to build a flotilla of ships, you don't sit around talking about carpentry. No, you need to set people's souls ablaze with visions of exploring distant shores."
•Very few companies set people’s souls ablaze rather they bore them with visions and missions of being the biggest, the best and delivering more profits for shareholders. When what people really want is to contribute and be part of a higher calling, something meaningful.
•Storytelling is not about marketing or communicating better what you do. It’s about the raison d'etre, it’s about the organisation’s higher calling, or the term we prefer using at TomorrowToday, the company’s quest.
•The new business SCRIPTS explores how the power of quests is a key ingredient for success in the new connection economy and sets the foundation for strategy and organisational design.
C – Stands For Collaboration
•The world is now too complex to go it alone. As Seth Godin puts it so eloquently: The division of labour and magnitude of outsourcing means that today there is not a single person alive in the world who knows how to manufacture a computer mouse from start to finish, let alone a twinkie!
•Our extensive research reveals the emergence of a new extremely powerful collaborative model built around power platforms or eco-hubs that organise loosely structured groups of people allowing them to work together electronically in surprisingly effective ways.
•Emerging from these power platforms are innovative new business models defining the new rules for competitive power and influence. We are only just beginning to understand exactly how powerful these models are and the leverage they are able to exploit.
•Businesses like Facebook, Amazon, eBay, Groupon. iTunes and Google, to name but a few of the giants leveraging the power of this new power-platforms business model. Terms like crowd-sourcing, wisdom of crowds, peer production, and wikinomics are being used to describe these new models.
•We explore natural systems like coral reefs and learn lessons from the natural world on how best to collaborate.
R – stands for Rewards and Rules
•To build organisations that are fit for the future leaders need to examine two centre stays of their organisations; firstly, the rules and procedures that got them to where they are today; and secondly, leaders need to reinvent how they reward the creation of value.
•Rules
Many rules are faceless, out dated and a legacy of the old way of doing things.
Every rule needs an ‘owner’ - a person who is willing to champion it and influence people of its importance and relevance to the success of the organisation.
Leaders need to declare war on ‘dumb faceless bureaucratic rules’.
•Rewards
Hard nose bottom line focused businesses like GE, Nestle, Google, IBM, John Lewis Partnership and Walmart are recognising the power of sharing value as a business model.
We explore and share our latest research findings of how businesses can increase profits by creating value for society and not just value for shareholders.
“Creating Shared Value will drive the next wave of innovation and productivity growth in the global economy.” Michael Porter, Harvard
I – Stands for Intelligence (Collective)
•As we move from the information economy into a creative and design economy, there is a deluge of information resulting in workforce paralysis. Business leaders need to take information and knowledge and turn it into intelligence that flows unhindered throughout the value chain and build relentless innovation into business.
•We explore how to create smart organisations that respond with precision and agility by focusing on collective intelligence.
P – Stands for People
•People remain an untapped competitive advantage.
•Annual cost of disengaged workers: UK - £30 billion and US – £250 billion.
•The power of tribes is an important way to improve engagement.
T – Stands for Transparency and Trust
•According to CNN only 13% of people think the reputation of businesses is good and research by the Harvard Business Review reveals that only 21% believe executives contribute a lot to society.
Companies can also no longer hide the truth.
•In addition the explosion of social media means that businesses have never been more transparent than they are today.
•Trust is now a sustainable competitive advantage.
S – Strategy and Speed
•Market and customer needs change so quickly now that strategies are implemented too late to be effective. Speed to market is now a competitive advantage.
•Research reveals that faster companies have (on average) 40% higher sales growth and 52% higher operating profits than slower companies.
•What makes the difference is: Clarity – A clear quest, Unity – Shared values of the tribe and; Agility – leveraging the power and adaptability of collaborative platforms.
•Strategy and speed is an aim and outcome of getting all the other elements of the new business scripts aligned and operating in unison.
•When people understand and are motivated by the quest; collaboration becomes self managed and adaptable; when results are based on shared value tribes of passionate people, both inside and outside the organization, combine to strengthen delivery and through collective intelligence and power of crowds deliver strategy at speeds faster than competitors.
SCRIPTS is a framework designed to help leaders rethink their own scripts, business models and strategies so that they can future proof their organisations and build businesses that are fit for people and fit for the future The new Business SCRIPTS uncovers the new rules for business success in a fast paced, complex world. In this presentation and/or workshop, the audience will be encouraged to think "outside of the box" and re-imagine fundamental management practices. SCRIPTS is a framework created to assist leaders with identifying what actions they need to take to be successful in the future world of work.
4. LEADING INNOVATION: Creating and sustaining a culture of innovation in any organisation
Almost every organisation in the world lists ‘innovation’ as a core value or key objective, and yet there is very little innovation on show as a result. The simple reality is that even though they have deep pockets and talented people, when most organisations come up with something new that captures their imagination they get their people working on it within the types of organisational structures (such as functional teams) that were designed to surmount old challenges – not ones that the new venture will face. This session is not about the mechanics of creativity of innovation, nor is it about the processes required to implement innovative ideas. Rather, it is about the leadership imperative to create the culture that ensures innovation is both continuous and embedded in the organisation. It challenges organisations to consider the resources, processes, values and leadership support given to innovation, and presents a mindset that will help companies actually achieve their stated goals.
5. LEADING DIVERSITY: The significant value of being different ‘for’ and not just different ‘from’ each other
Difference matters. While the world is flatter and superficially more homogenous, surprisingly our differences have become increasingly important. The 21st century challenge for leaders is not how to manage or cope with difference, but how to leverage and lead diversity. Diversity is both an asset and a liability. When harnessed successfully, difference fosters innovation, develops resilience, boosts productivity, enables problem solving, and enhances morale in the workplace. When mishandled, difference results in communication breakdowns, misunderstanding and conflict, that can cripple everything from small teams to global business negotiations – this is mere variety. The objective of this programme is to make diversity a core strength for you.
6. IMPLEMENTING STRATEGY @ speed: Four essential characteristics of organisations that will be successful in turbulent times
As the world gets more and more complex and turbulent, the success of any organisation increasingly depends on their ability to develop and implement strategies – at speed. To do this, organisations need to keep their defining values in tact and steer towards the destination defined by their organisation’s vision, while at the same time learning how to constantly develop and implement new and adapted ways of reaching their goals. We don’t have roadmaps with a set of directions anymore, but we can develop a GPS ‘satnav’ ability to ‘recalculate’ our routes to success. Implementing strategy @ speed is a model developed from the combined findings of significant research projects and the experience of the TomorrowToday strategy consulting team. It helps leaders focus on four key factors and develop the capabilities their organisations need in order to be successful in a fast-paced and turbulent world.
7.HANNAH'S RULES - Eco theme
The Rise of the Ethical Consumer: Differentiating yourself by making a difference in a chaotic world
A new generation of "ethical consumers" are starting to demand more than just great products and services at fair prices - they also increasingly require transparency, environmental care, social responsibility, diversity and a host of other characteristics in the companies they buy from. They will be demanding these from their employers in the future, too.
The "symptoms" of this shift can be seen in issues like triple bottom line reporting, environmental policies, fair trade initiatives, demands for increased information about where products are made and for more policing of global trade, employment practices, and much more. Many of the reasons companies are facing a new "age of accountability" are familiar, but it is useful to see them pulled together. These include the "flattening" of global economics, a shared sense of vulnerability fostered by climate change and natural disasters and increasing violence, coupled with the awesome power global corporations have amassed. Companies, governments and even individuals increasingly live in a goldfish bowl - constantly watched, with increased exposure through networks of business partners and global supply chains, and are required to respond to the campaigns mounted by lawyers, non-governmental organisations and shareholder activists.
These issues have become big talking points on the platforms of the world, with everyone from Oscar-winning "ex-next-Presidents" to academics and religious leaders taking the stage to present their views. But very few of these presentations grab the imagination like TomorrowToday is able to.
With our standard mix of multimedia, humour and insight, TomorrowToday presents a powerful and playful presentation on the four major problems facing the world today, and what individuals, companies and countries can do to address these. But we go beyond the hype and stats. We talk about the imperative driving these issues. We will show you why your company MUST respond, and HOW it can. We provide practical insights and take-away value for companies and individuals alike. We also look at the business opportunities that this new era offers.
This presentation will help you to see your company - your product offerings, your brand, your reputation, your leaders, your people and your future - through the eyes of your future consumers and staff, and show how to connect with them successfully. This is not another "greenie" admonishment for business to take its responsibilities more seriously. The presentation and workshops that go with it have an upbeat message that is being understood by the world's leading companies: it makes financial sense to anticipate and respond to society's emerging demands. Research is already proving that the sustainable company is likely to be highly profitable. By applying "Hannah's Rules", you'll ensure a sustainable competitive advantage - securing your place as a leader in your industry - now, in 2020, and beyond.
8. TheTides of Change
The recent financial crisis has been more than just an economic downturn. Major shifts are taking place in almost every industry around the world as new rules for success and failure are written. History tells us that the major winners and losers of a recession actually emerge only in the aftermath of the downturn – as the upturn begins. We therefore need to prepare ourselves for a decade of turbulence as we live with the after shocks of the “Great Recession”.
This seminar is designed to provide insights into five disruptive forces that are set to change the world of work in the next decade. Besides these insights, the key outcome of the session is that participants understand the need to develop strategic responsiveness skills in their people at every level of the organisation. We do this by providing a framework to help you and your team analyze your context on an ongoing basis, and show you how to adapt to a constantly changing world.
The most successful companies in the next few years will be those that find ways to be strategically responsive. To do this, it is important that everyone – at every level of the organisation – has an understanding of the forces that will be shaping the next decade. Only then can they contribute meaningfully to your company’s success. You can develop these insights through regular analysis of your environment, strategic conversations throughout your organisation with all of your people, and helping each of them discover their personal role in achieving the company’s strategy. Their understanding of the strategic landscape is essential for problem solving, creativity, innovation and the proactive identification of opportunities and threats in your industry and market.
The five forces that will disrupt industries in the next decade are: Technology, Institutional upheaval, changing Demographics, the Environment and shifting Societal values. These are the T.I.D.E.S. of change.
This workshop includes well researched insights into the near future, packaged together with key trends, relevant and interesting facts, case studies and multi-media clips, and lots of opportunity for discussion. This session will provide the context necessary for you to set a strategic agenda that will ensure your success in the next decade. It has application for your organisation, your department and your personal career development.
It is a guaranteed paradigm shaker and conversation starter as you and your team develop your strategies. The content challenges commonly held assumptions about business and how the world works. Consequently, it invites strategic insights, understanding and discussion, and is laced with a practicality and a gently rebuking humour that makes it immediately applicable and keeps participants thoroughly engaged throughout.
9. Bridging the Digital Divide (Navigating the information economy in a new world of work)
We live and work in a fast moving world flooded with information – it’s not only faster but also more complex and more interconnected than ever before. The biggest revolution we face in the next decade is a shift in how we deal with information, and most companies are battling to keep up. Yet, today’s young people treat all of this as normal, and use multiple technologies to help them easily navigate this information-rich economy. Your success in the next few years depends on your understanding and ability to bridge the digital divides. This session will show you how information technology will revolutionise your business, and your life. Use it to connect more effectively with your younger, talented staff and customers. And ensure that you and your team are ready to make the most of the new world of work.
10. 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, focusing 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.
11. Balancing Today and Tomorrow – by Graeme Codrington
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!
And with even more devastating results. The previous shift saw the world move from 80% of people employed in agriculture and mining (in the mid 1800s) to about 50% (in the early 1900s) and to 2% today. Manufacturing peaked in the mid 1900s, employing about 40% - today it is around 10%. Today, nearly 80% of the world's population are employed in services and professions. This is due to change. It is estimated that 75% of all current white collar services jobs will disappear within the next 15 years. Some will be exported to cheaper economies (especially in the East), but most will just disappear forever - to be replaced by...
Well, that's the big question. Replaced by what? 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.
12. Future Perfect - Strategic Thinking and Action
In a world of constant change, you can often arrive at the end point of a process of implementing a strategic plan, and discover that "there" isn't there anymore. The goalposts have shifted, and you're still behind. The only real solution is to be the capacity for ongoing strategic thinking and action into your organisation's DNA.
We live in a world where constant change is both a cliché and an understatement. Change, change, change. You've heard enough consultants pushing this mantra to last your lifetime. Yet, nothing you try seems good enough. And no matter how fast you move, you always seem a step or two behind. Projects take longer, with ever-increasing complexity, and ever-decreasing effectiveness. And change itself, an event we’re supposed to be “managing”, keeps drowning us in confusion and feelings of helplessness.
The problem is that innovation, the economic religion of the 21st century, is no longer enough to differentiate you from everyone else. Your competitors are watching you so closely, that any advantage you might gain by a breakthrough innovation is quickly copied, perfected and released – without all the pain and cost of the development. Nevertheless, innovation is still critical, and breakthrough innovations will continue to bring rich rewards for companies ready and willing to embrace change. What is required is something much more radical than mere innovation. It requires the embracing of dualities, the creation of chaos – selling the sacred cows and herding cats! But, in a world changing as fast as ours is, who can claim with any confidence that they know the future, to know what to change? Forecasting is a tough job in any environment. At the beginning of the 21st century it is virtually impossible. The more the world changes, the less appropriate it becomes to extrapolate from past experiences. In fact, one of the simplest ways to fail at the start of this new century is to simply improve past successes.
If we cannot learn from the past anymore, then we have to attempt to learn from the future. We need to use strategic inputs at critical stages in our thinking processes, and ensure that we constantly update our outlook for the future environment. The critical task in this process is to be supremely aware of your company's "passion" - not its vision or mission - its passion. Having established a tentative view of the future environment, a view of the future marketspace is fairly easy to create. But now the real heart of this approach: the question is not “how do we take our company and our products to that market?”, rather, “what type of company will best fulfill our passion statement, given that future possible market?”. This is a fundamentally different type of question. This question ignores current structures. It ignores current constraints. It ignores current products and services. It focuses solely on your primary value proposition – that description of your business that sets you apart from all your competitors. And it thrusts that into the future.
This offering will assist you and your strategy team to get to grips with a simple, yet powerfully effective tool, for building strategic thinking into the core of your company. It motivates and equips people to stay ahead of the curve of change. It is best done as a workshop with real strategy being discussed.
13. Mind over Money
Based on the best selling book by Graeme Codrington, Louis Fourie and Sue Grant-Marshall, this presentation takes a fresh look at personal financial planning, based on an understanding of generational attitudes in different lifestages. It combines the wisdom gained from over 60,000 interviews with wealthy people (and people who thought they were wealthy), with cutting edge research into generational theory, and the impact on personal value systems of the era in which a person is born.
The presentation shows why so many rich people can't people sleep at night. Only 7% of people can afford to retire and maintain their desired living standard. And for most people, the more they earn, the bigger their overdraft. This offering gives some answers, and helps people put a personal financial destiny plan in place.
PRESENTATIONS by Dr. Graeme Codrington
South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, quoted our colleague, Graeme C
Ryder:
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Graeme will use his laptop as an autocue, which would need to be positioned on the stage where he will be presenting.
- A data projector to connect to his laptop, projected onto a large enough screen that everyone has full view of it.
- Sound for the full audio he uses with the presentation. This connects to his laptop in the standard way - the stereo head phone out - and needs to connect to a full sound system.
- If the size of the venue and number of participants requires it, a lapel mike (or equivalent - hand held, headset, etc) will be required to amplify voice as well.
- Graeme will use his laptop as an autocue, which would need to be positioned on the stage where he will be presenting.
- A data projector to connect to his laptop, projected onto a large enough screen that everyone has full view of it.
- Sound for the full audio he uses with the presentation. This connects to his laptop in the standard way - the stereo head phone out - and needs to connect to a full sound system.
- If the size of the venue and number of participants requires it, a lapel mike (or equivalent - hand held, headset, etc) will be required to amplify voice as well.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Graeme will use his laptop as an autocue, which would need to be positioned on the stage where he w
- Graeme will use his laptop as an autocue, which would need to be positioned on the stage where he w
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