Frances Valintine is the founder of www.themindlab.com and www.techfutureslab.com. She has recently launched an online learning tool called www.digitalsuitcase.com designed for adults to better understand new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Digital Payments and 3D printing. Frances shares some insights into the redundancy of knowledge...

My lifetime of working to prepare individuals and businesses for technological advances and the future of work has been a privilege. But 2018 caught me by surprise. The conversation about disruption is louder than ever but trying to find examples of professionals actively re-learning so they can be informed and prepared for this change are almost non-existent.

There is an element of ‘we want to change, but we don’t want to change’, but I think it runs deeper than this. I suspect there is fundamental disbelief in the monumental impact that technological advances and demographic changes will have, or are having on every aspect of our lives.

The early indicators of the post-analogue, digital world are appearing. Company profits from some of our largest organisations are falling. Margins are narrowing. Customers are more discerning, and there are higher expectations of sustainability, fairness, equity and equality. But the lack of pro-active responses to build the knowledge and capability to combat the onset of a new generation of competitors is still too reliant on external advisors. Harsh words to hear, but the burning platform is right under our feet, and we are still looking out to the distance unaware of how vulnerable our businesses have become.

I’ve tested many theories this year. Are we too far away from the epicentre of change? Are we too fearful of getting it wrong, so we just stay still? Or is it a more basic instinct? Are most people comfortable just the way they are? Case and point, New Zealand is one of the desirable countries in the world. Mostly blue sky, swimmable beaches, places to ride your bike

and water that can be consumed straight from the tap. It is a reasonable assumption that if I was born offshore, I might be making a beeline for our beautiful shores too. A little piece of paradise under the Southern Cross sounds like a perfect place to slow down, to raise a family and to escape from the madness of a world gone mad. So this is it? Are we happy to slide slowly away from the rest of the world?

Wait. It’s 2018, and we are a kicking great young country. We can turn the tide so we as a country can be leaders in the new world. Imagine if we lead in the field of sustainability, productivity, education and innovation.

We need to build a deeper understanding of the causes and the accelerants of change. We all need to develop a contemporary language that we all understand so that we can find a common starting point and then set the trajectory of where we want to go. We can be bold and brilliant, gritty and resilient. It is time to park all of those things you know to be true from the past, to make room for our new world. Yes, the future is a bit scary. It’s fast, tech-based and evolving. But it’s also where our children are heading and where I want to be. I’m not ready to disconnect from the world that is giving us more access to knowledge, more years of quality living and more opportunity to do great things than ever before.

My Generation Y & Z staff not only imagine what their future could be, but they are also making and shaping it framed by their generational interpretation and adoption of tech. They may ‘get it’ faster and with a lot less effort than me, but I plan to be there, alongside them, committed to understanding their exciting new world that we can help shape.

@techfutureslab | @nzmindlab