HIGHLIGTHING THE FUTURE OF FINLAND

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1 HIGHLIGTHING THE FUTURE OF FINLAND Changing world and needed competencies Prof. Markku Wilenius Finland Futures Research Centre University of Turku

2 UNESCO Chair in Learning Society and Futures of Education ( ) Goal: Means: Outcome: To make use of tools of futures research to eradicate global poverty and improve human well-being in developing countries Research, education and development activities focusing on global capacity building for futures thinking (individual futures preparedness) Individuals with higher level of futures preparedness = more future-prepared society

3 Understanding the past provides the key to see the future K-Wave pattern over industrial times 20,00 % 1st Kondratieff Steam 2nd Kondratieff Railway, steel 3rd Kondratieff Electrification, chemicals 4th Kondratieff Automobiles, petrochemicals 5th Kondratieff ICT 6th Kondratieff Intelligent technologies15,00 % 10,00 % 5,00 % 0,00 % 5,00 % Panic of Long depression Great depression st and 2nd oil crisis Financial crisis xx 10,00 % Rolling 10-year return on the S&P 500 since January 1814 till December 2016 (In %p.a.). Source Datastream, Bloomberg, Helsinki Capital partners (illustration), Markku Wilenius

4 So what is the next phase?

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7 Demand for future orientation - Processing - Strategy building learning Action - Scenarios - Delphistudies Interpretation - Weak signals - Environmental scanning observation Understanding change State of art Vision building Strategy implementation

8 7 Transformative CARE principles for future orientation in our learning organizations

9 1. Forget hierarchies & share the knowledge Fully functioning ecosystem requires to have all the necessary information available: Internal communication within the organisation Deep communication and collaboration with the customers The key resource is the ability to adapt to changing conditions

10 2. Shift focus from technical to social and system skills Strong organisational culture is based on trust: People are taken at their word, no need for command and control People are given responsibility and autonomy People feel empowered and free to express both their satisfaction and dissatisfaction

11 3. Get rid of innovation departments Full individual freedom and responsibility to organize the work enables continuous learning and improvement No ready-made solutions Innovation is seen as a feature of everybody s work

12 4. Embrace radical solutions Deep commitment to non-standard solutions: Seeking solutions that are uniquely best instead of following the industry standards Decisions made consciously with reflection instead of quickest and most convenient solutions Making a difference in the world

13 5. Commit to serious long-term thinking Long-term thinking taken to practice: Fast failing: if something is not working, it is not continued Constant challenging: keeping closer touch with the operating environment Resilience building: sensitivity to changes and requirements internally and externally Long-term builds right kind of motivation

14 6. Encourage risk taking Creating a culture where it is safe to take risks: Safe to bring up issues that are uncomfortable Safe to bring up unconventional ideas without losing credibility Safe to experiment with something that has not been tried before Psychological safety to unleash people s full potential

15 7. Use the future as a mission Letting the organization lead itself towards the future: Building strong principles (rather than targets) to which the organization shall reflect all its behaviour Testing different initiatives among co-workers The success of an initiative is a measure of its usability in the organisation The future emerges all the time in various forms

16 CARE principles for Finland s next 100 years 1. Forget hierarchies & share the knowledge 2. Shift focus from technical to social and system skills 3. Get rid of innovation departments 4. Embrace radical solutions 5. Commit to serious long-term thinking 6. Encourage risk taking 7. Use the future as a mission

17 Sources for futures literacy Individual capacity for future Cognitive level Emotional level Practical level knowledge about driving forces and trends systems thinking imaginative/visionary capacity self-knowledge knowledge of the surrounding world sense of agency ethical awareness entrepreneurial attitude empathy intuition openness towards change willingness to take risks communication skills collaboration skills problem solving skills participatory skills information management Unesco Chair in Learning Society & Futures of Education

18 Pictures: Pirita Männikkö; Heinonen & Tuominen (2006)

19 More information Markku Wilenius UNESCO Chair Tel Twitter: MWilenius Laura Pouru Project Manager Tel Twitter: LPouru

20 In the next centennial of Finland s story - in the world of 6th and 7th wave the best navigators are individuals with high level of futures literacy and futures preparedness. How can you contribute in building more future-prepared Finland?