Daily Inspiration: “Reinvent yourself at the speed of change!”

“Reinvent yourself at the speed of change!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

This picture is from my keynote in Chicago two weeks ago for a manufacturing conference. Before I mention manufacturing, let me ask a question: what are you doing today to focus on your personal commitment for reinvention? Are you busy reinventing yourself each and every day?
The same type of thinking is so relevant in the context of the trends in the manufacturing industry (and just about every other industry!) There isn’t a day that goes by that folks need to do something new, to align themselves to the new opportunities and challenges coming at them on a daily basis.
Here’s what they need to be focussed on: Collapsing product lifecycles. Mass customization. Digitization, robotics and the cloud. Design based on crowd thinking. Build to demand, as opposed to build to inventory, business models. The role of the Internet of Things in product innovation as well as manufacturing process innovation. Spatial-innovation with advanced manufacturing robotics. New materials and substances that allow for change in product development. Rapid prototyping, sketch to scale, and agility-based business models….these are the trends disrupting the industry, but also providing massive opportunity.
Here’s the thing : some people in the world of manufacturing see these trends, and see a threat. They’d like to put up a tariff wall, and take the industry back to where it was in say, 1950. LOL with that!
The reality is that manufacturing is reinventing fast, and those who align themselves to these trends are those who win. And so while popular media and opportunistic politicians portray a picture of a sector in crisis, smart manufacturing executives are furiously busy with innovation, reinventing their capabilities, processes and business models using advanced ideas, materials, methodologies and technologies.
You should do that too! On a personal level, what you are doing today to recommit to your own personal reinvention? It’s always a great question to start out your day!