Welcome to the Think, Work & Play Like a Futurist course. In our first module THINK, you will learn what it means to have a futurist mindset, how you can cultivate your skills and why it is important to THINK like a futurist.

THINKING LIKE A FUTURIST

Think, Work and Play Like a Futurist is our course in trend management. In this course, you will be introduced to the futurist mindset and the tools that enable you to anticipate and navigate the future while seizing new opportunities. The principles you learn can be applied on all levels inside an organisation, or may you wish to use your newfound futurist skills as an individual. Either way, this is the place to start.

In three modules THINK, WORK, PLAY – we explore the methods and tools of Kjaer Global’s trend management system. We will show you how to adapt your thinking to that of an active changemaker. You will learn how to identify the core building blocks of the future, the patterns that allow you to see the big picture and change mechanisms, as well as tuning into the challenges ahead and turning them into opportunities appropriate to your sector or the business you are in.

The future is not some place you go

– you create the future 

Anne Lise Kjaer – futurist and founder Kjaer Global

At Kjaer Global, we believe that the future isn’t just somewhere we go, but that we create the future. However, in order to shape tomorrow, we need to understand the various drivers shaping our future context. Which ones can we influence or take advantage of – and which presents a risk to the future developments we would like to see? To gain this understanding, we must have a system in place to help us make sense of the many and sometimes contradictory drivers and shifts that impact on society, business and individuals.

We call this trend management. This is a method and a system we have developed over many decades as a platform for integrated thinking. It allows us to anticipate developments and make more informed choices in the present about the future. Everybody can learn to take advantage of change, and the trend management system provides the right toolkit for understanding trends and navigating the future.

 

TREND MANAGEMENT PROCESS

 
You will learn to imagine, strategise and work with the future in a consistent, credible and inspiring way
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“In dealing with the future, it is far more important to

be imaginative than to be right”

 Anne Lise Kjaer – futurist and founder Kjaer Global

Trend management is a method and a mindset

At its simplest, managing trends involves observing specific changes or advances, as well as considering the general direction in which society is moving. But to do this consistently and with confidence, it is essential to have a system and a set of tools that enable us to manage the complexity of diverse information. This system must be robust enough to generate alternative viewpoints, thus inviting fresh thinking to challenge the status quo.

Trend management is a way of thinking as much as it is a system of tools, models and frameworks. Mastering trend management enables you to stay in control and allows you to distinguish between passing fads and the meaningful shifts that look likely to develop into more influential movements or trends. And when you can do that, you can actively shape the future.

 

So, let’s get started

Ideas are like seeds – you plant them – if resilient they’ll sprout and grow over time

How to think like a futurist

To use the practical methods and tool of the futurist, you will first have to build the right mindset. This first module covers the skills and habits that enable a futurist to work with the future in a consistent, credible and inspiring way. This is what we call the futurist mindset. Together we will explore the What and How – and not least Why it’s essential for all of us to be able to THINK like a futurist.

In the first six lessons, we guide you on your journey to learn how to THINK like a futurist while sharing essential skills to plot out your own personal path. What you learn will be useful whether you look to develop your foresight skills as an individual, a team or as a business leader.

LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE

Before we deep dive into the THINK module I’ll briefly introduce our three learning paces:

NEED TO KNOW [the basics]
1) Read and then listen to the lesson
2) Do at least one exercise or the quiz

NICE TO KNOW [the curious learner]
3) Watch all the videos
4) Study one or more items provided at the end of each lesson

TAKE IT FURTHER ([the deep dive]
5) Track your time use for a week (as detailed as you like) find inspiration here
6) Read or watch recommended books, videos or documentaries
7) Keep a notebook of your ideas and trends (make it a daily practice)

Ask us anything about the future, our courses or your project

Drop us a line with your questions or request