by Karen Newcombe
There are many organizations out there producing great reports that are invaluable for those preparing to engage in a strategic planning or scenario planning effort.
As we approach 2015, many of the organizations who produce these reports are looking ahead to the next 15 years, with 2025 and 2030 in their sights.
This report suggests that four major megatrends determine what our world will look like in 2030. These are:
- Individual Empowerment: As poverty is reduced worldwide and the global middle class continues to grow, the economic and social power of individuals will grow accordingly, and have a huge impact on every other trend.
- Diffusion of Power: All trend watchers expect the balance of power to shift away from the Occident towards Asia, with an increasing influence rising in South America, some Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, and some African countries as they become stabilized and economically viable.
- Demographic Shifts: We're all familiar with the huge trend caused by an overall aging world population. A less recognized but equally important trend is that of the number of youthful societies and states, where a huge percentage of the population is under 30. Other major demographic trends are urbanization - the overall shift from farm life to city life, and migration - the mass movement of people in search of resources, safety, and jobs.
- Food/Water/Energy Demands: These three are intimately intertwined, and are affected by climate change, the growth of the world's middle class with its demands for a higher quality of life, and global economics.
The report also lists six game-changers and four possible future scenarios, which could be extremely useful for purposes of strategic and scenario planning.
This is great information, concisely written, and it's free. You can't beat that! Download the report by clicking on the image above, or this link:
http://www.dni.gov/index.php/about/organization/national-intelligence-council-global-trends
And stay tuned! I'll have more great trends reports for you as I find them.