TAKEN BY SURPRISE ….. S..L..O..W..L..Y

We think of surprises as something that happens FAST. However, “being taken by surprise” can happen over a much longer period. Consider the following examples and think of the impact of being taken by surprise.

AGING: Customers age a day at time. Harley was riding high (excuse the pun) with the Boomer Generation. But most Boomers are too old for a Hog and Gen Z see a Harley as an “old guy’s bike.” (Apologies to lady riders.)

CLIMATE: Weather is what happens today. Climate is measured in decade-long periods. Miami is fine today but is likely to be underwater in the future. English summers are generally mild; consider the 2022 summer heat wave. Weather or climate?

LIFE CYCLES: Some are short; some are long. But decline is inevitable. The automobile internal combustion engine has been around for well over a hundred years. Will it be around in another decade?

TECHNOLOGY AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: It seems that everything is being powered by batteries these days, including cars. Will we be taken by surprise when we need to replace and recycle millions of battery platforms? Do you want the landfill in your backyard?

DEMOGRAPHICS: China’s so called “one child” policy (1980 – 2015) has giving it both and aging and an unbalanced gender population. Who will take care of the “old people?”

Being taken by surprise is seen when you, your company, or your government seem befuddled, dumbfounded, bowled-over, confused, dismayed, or shaken-up. Can you (can they) avoid this? No. But you can reduce the times in which these words apply. Yep, you can; but it takes “real” thought, not a Google search.

Want to learn more about defending yourself and your organization from inevitable surprises? Subscribe to MindPrep, our complimentary musings on the past, present, and future. You can grab it right HERE.

Please add examples or feel free to disagree. I’d love a conversation. Thanks.