I have worked with well over 100 enterprises and several thousand executives and senior managers, often focused on initiatives that have the potential to fundamentally change their enterprises. Somewhat simplistically, these initiatives depended on three ingredients – technology, people, and organizations. Frequently these executives and managers commented that technology was the easy part. People and [...]
How does change differ within various aspects of society? Are differing changes somehow related? C.P. Snow has argued that there is a chasm between the arts and humanities, and science and technology (Snow, 1965). However, all of these endeavors are inevitably influenced by the times in which they are pursued.
Consider the late 18th and early [...]
It is typical to think about change in terms of intentions and consequences. We intend to exercise more or eat better to achieve the consequences of weight loss and improved fitness. The President intends to move the country towards greater use of renewable energy sources to achieve the consequences of greater energy independence and decreased [...]
I am at the IEEE Workshop on the Future of Information at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, DC. The purpose of the workshop is to consider how engineers and scientists will access and use information in 2020, including what types and sources of information they will seek and find available.
Yesterday was the first [...]
The transformation framework from the last post can be applied to thinking through the four scenarios for academia from the post before the last one. Consider the Network U. scenario. This scenario basically involves changing offerings across the instruction function and/or organization via process and technology changes. Put simply, teaching would be quite different.
All students [...]
What will the academic world be like in 25 years – 2035? Thinking 25 years into the future is quite difficult, as is evidenced by thinking back to 1985 and imagining our current iPhones, Kindles, and pervasive social technology such as Facebook. Nevertheless, it is interesting – and potentially useful – to consider future scenarios. [...]
A year ago, I bought an iPhone. About six months ago, I switched from a PC to a Mac. A few months ago, I began to use texting and now frequently rely on this means of communication. Now, I am writing a blog. My colleagues think that I have a chance of actually making it [...]
