Thinking futures. How to survive and thrive in a fast changing (business) world

The evolution of the ability to think futures is believed to be a very recent development in man. Whilst this, probably uniquely human, form of prescience provides us with the power to shape the world in which we live, most are reluctant to develop it. Many of our academic forms of education re-enforce this reluctance. Of the three times available to us: the present's of the past, present and future, it is considered that the most important is the present of the future. We reap what we sow. A non recognition of this leads to a lack of time management, lack of achievement and locks the individual at the lower levels of a hierarchy of self fulfilment. The future of the world depends more and more upon decisions made by human beings, many have not developed this ability and others misuse it. Either situation, if taken to the extreme, could lead to disaster. Whilst this paper is based upon experience and research in the world of business most of what it contains applies to much wider readership.