Listening to the Future: Why It's Everybody's Business explores the challenges and opportunities facing organizations, the transformations that will ripple through the political, economic, and social environments, and the implications for different industries in the 21st century workplace. Written by Microsoft forecasters Daniel W. Rasmus and Rob Salkowitz, this important book equips your business to get out in front of new technology innovations in the consumer world with the knowledge, practices, and tools to differentiate your business in our competitive, fast-moving global economy.
Table of Contents:
Microsoft Executive Leadership Series: Series Foreword ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Chapter 1 Listening to the Future 1
Embracing Uncertainty 3
The Shape of Things to Come 15
Technology and the Changing World 17
People Make the Future 22
Note 23
Chapter 2 Managing a Dynamic Business 25
Driving Forces 26
Strategic Technology Capabilities 32
Tenets for Success 39
Dynamic Business: Forces to Watch, Uncertainties to Consider 41
Notes 43
Chapter 3 Prospering in a Blended World 45
Driving Forces 46
Strategic Workplace Technologies 54
Blending Beyond the Workplace 63
Tenets for Success 65
Blend Trends 68
Notes 70
Chapter 4 Insights from Complexity 73
Driving Forces 75
Strategic Technologies to Drive Insights 86
Tenets for Success 92
Sources of Insight 94
Notes 95
Chapter 5 Building Strategic Advantage Through IT 97
The Challenge of Measuring Return on Knowledge 98
Why IT Matters 99
Why Applications Matter 102
Why Platforms Matter 104
Why Infrastructure Matters 108
Creating a Dialog Between Business and IT 110
Tenets for Success 111
Why IT Still Matters 114
EightWays to Achieve More Strategic IT 115
Key Infrastructure Investments for Competitive Advantage 116
Notes 117
Chapter 6 From the New World of Business to the New World of Work 119
One World of Business 120
Always On, Always Connected 127
Transparent Organizations 133
Workforce Evolution 141
Notes 150
Chapter 7 Managing Knowledge and Talent in the New World of Business 155
Managing Knowledge in One World of Business 156
Knowledge Anywhere, Anytime 157
Knowledge in the Transparent Organization 157
Managing Knowledge for a Changing Workforce 158
From “Knowledge Management” to Managing Talent and Knowledge 160
Complexity and Specialization 162
Simplifying the Knowledge Work Environment 164
Toward a Dynamic Knowledge Environment 165
Navigating the Dynamic Knowledge Environment 168
Embracing Organizational Learning 175
10 Starting Points for Dynamic Knowledge Enterprises 176
Notes 177
Chapter 8 The Future of Industries 179
Manufacturing 180
Retail 182
Government/Public Sector 184
Retail Banking and Insurance 185
Healthcare 187
Education 188
Professional Services 190
Chapter 9 Hearing the Future 193
Strategy and Uncertainties 195
Exposing the Dynamic Uncertainty Loop 200
Finding the Signal in the Noise 211
Looking Forward 215
Notes 216
Afterword 217
Index 221
About the Author :
Daniel W. Rasmus (Sammamish, WA) is Director of Information Work Vision for the Microsoft?Office Product Marketing Group. Prior to joining Microsoft, Dan was an analyst with Forrester Research (formerly Giga) and wrote extensively about collaboration and knowledge management.
Rob Salkowitz (Seattle, WA) is a writer and consultant specializing in the social implications of new technology. He has worked with leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, to help formulate market strategy and articulate business goals.
Review :
"…have produced a timely book about positoning business to deal with the uncertain challenges of the future." (B-eye-network.com, March 5th, 2009)
