If I could only see the future...

The foreign exchange market is huge. It trades more in a day than the entire stock market trades in a year. There is money to be made in foreign exchange trading and so it attracts lots of smart people and has plenty of resources. Smart people and resources means that they should have a better shot at knowing where the world is going and not being surprised by stuff.  Were you as amazed as I was last week when the dollar crashed and then rose like a phoenix to be higher than it had been before the US elections?

It seems that even smart people with resources can't see the future.

Moving from Forecast to Foresight

Being human means suffering from, 'The Shock of the Unexpected'*. Have you ever been surprised by events, to the point where you can feel that your brain has shut down and your emotions are raging?  What happens is that a bit of your old 'crocodile brain' towards the base of your neck turns off the modern frontal bits. Have you heard the gibberish you speak when you are in that state?**  (Just think of some of the things you have said in response to the surprise POTUS event I'll bet you are fully convinced even if there is no evidence).  Of course it's gibberish, your logical brain is turned off! 

I don't have resources, and I know about the danger of the shock of the unexpected and I do know how it can devastate your performance and get you making dumb decisions.  So I created two Performance Enhancement Tools (PETs) to solve this for me.  I know that once you have imagined an event, however unlikely, when it happens your brain doesn't get hijacked.  in fact you will feel a bit smug and happy that what you predicted has come true!  I know that today is the most probable day to precede tomorrow.  And that means tomorrow will be the most likely day to follow today.  So in idle moments I FutureDream and FutureMap.  Dreaming solves the emotional shock. Mapping gives me an idea of what might happen next.

Today I would like you to spend half your commuting time or coffee time FutureDreamingTM.  Choose something important for you, say a meeting with your favourite client.  Now imagine surprise events which could affect it. Start with the good ones, such as your client has been promoted, move to negative ones which could knock you off course, then move to slightly crazy ones and then back to positive ones at each stage note your feeling about the event. 

Tomorrow I would like you to create a FutureMapTM following the QwikGuide instructions here

In a complex changing world Strategy is the process of consciously manipulating the future

Join QUBE because the future is just about to happen

* the scientific description is Amygdala hijack

** psychologists call this cognitive dissonance

NEW TALKS FROM EDDIE OBENG FOR 2017:

UNCERTAINTY - The leadership and strategic mind-set and toolkit to help you navigate the current global uncertainty.

NEURO-COLLABORATION - Making the most of digital opportunities to allow human minds to collaborate and engage.

METAMORPHOSIS - Transforming your incumbent/legacy organisation to outperform digital disruptors.

AGILITY - Successful and fast delivery of 'foggy' change in a turbulent business environment.

PERSUASION - Innovative Leadership in Complex Times - A master class in how to get just about anyone to follow you doing something new.

HUMAN-MACHINE - Visions and strategies for the future of work in a world where machines are stronger and smarter than us.