Can we all be trendspotters at heart....
The podcast I posted yesterday was talking about trends that we need to think about for the next decade. Overnight, I have been thinking about what makes a trend....
I suggest in the podcast that trends form from actions that we are taking today - irritations that build over time, social activity that form over the weeks. It made me think trends are not futuristic, trends are about today. For business, for leaders this is an important concept. If you can turn from living through the day and ticking off your action list to thinking through the day and creating tomorrows action lists....then maybe, maybe you can become a daily trendspotter and in turn a daily trendsetter.
So what can we do today to become a trendspotter
- Carry that notebook and write down things that irritate you in all aspects of life. Then start thinking about solutions. Remember solutions make money and create engagement to your personal or corporate brand.
- Think about not only specific solutions but also why that problem has occurred and whether that same concept could be applicable to your life, to your industry, to your team.
- Talk to people about their lives. Listen to the words they use. When they use emotive phrases or words, think about what is causing that emotion.Can you help that emotion, can you feed into that emotion.
- Watch the news, listen to what people are talking about in relation to society. In the UK there is a lot of talk at the amount about whether we have a broken society, or whether it is in pockets......important concept when you take that idea and think about your team or your consumers. Is your own "society" inclusive, are you ignoring a part of the team or set of consumers? How do you stop that idea of "broken" within your environment, before it happens? When you think about it, if you work each day giving people opportunity, understanding the societal changes....you will be creating a solution to a trend before your competitors.
Maybe some readers will also have some ideas - if so would leave to hear your comments. Would also like to get other people's comments about how as successful leaders they think about trends?
