Listening to the Future: Why It's Everybody's Business

by Daniel W. Rasmus, Rob Salkowitz

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781119090861
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	11/24/2008
Series:	Microsoft Executive Leadership Series
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.60(d)

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.

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