I love my client DTN! This is the introduction video they put together for my keynote headlining the DTN Ag Summit in Chicago the other day!
Archives for December 2018
Daily Inspiration: “Be comfortable with the paradox of ambiguity. Thrive on the uncertainty!”
“Be comfortable with the paradox of ambiguity. Thrive on the uncertainty!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
When it comes to the future, you never really know what is going to come next. No one does.
As a futurist, my job on stage is to give people the broad trends, the sweeping transformations, the obvious pathways to what comes next. Yet I always caution that the insight is but a hint of what might occur – there is absolutely no precision in what I do. And that means, you need to be ready for anything!
With that reality, your ability to respond to surprise, the unforeseen and the sudden shock can really help to define your overall success.
Plan for that – structure your activities with uncertainty in mind. Build a platform with shaky foundations – knowing that any of them might fall out from underneath you at any point. Accept that the solid ground beneath your feet might actually be jello and could swallow you up at any time!
Uncertainly should rule your day – the ambiguity of multiple potential paths should be your roadmap!
Keynote: Microsoft Northeast, Norwich, Connecticut: Managing Disruption & Transformation
Over a 25 year career, literally dozens of hi-tech companies have had me in for customer events. They use these events to update their key customers – usually Fortune 1000 organizations – on the strategies, software and platforms they will be utilizing to help them fulfill their IT needs going forward. This one was no different – in teh room I had CIO’s and CFO’s for major corporations from throughout the Boston and Northeast area – banks, insurance companies, healthcare organizations, manufacturers. I took them on a tour of my ‘24 disruptive trends‘ to put into perspective the massive scope of change that is yet to settle in on us – and the innovative IT strategies they should pursue to align to that reality.
Pre-Keynote Video: A Sneak Peak of My Topic strong>
Daily Inspiration: “Fertilize your future with your enthusiasm!”
“Fertilize your future with your enthusiasm!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
From the stage yesterday in Chicago, where I spent my time with a few hundred farmers and other folks in the agricultural sector, at the DTN Ag Summit.
I love the world of agriculture, because unlike many other industries, it has a large number of participants who are relentlessly focused on new ideas, concepts and innovation. They’re flying drones, doing geospatial analysis of crops, using Fitbits for cows, exploring robotics and autonomous vehicles, expand their energy output through innovative biofuel concepts and more.
Not all of them, of course. There are still some in the community who are apathetic, close minded, stuck in the 1970’s. Not the folks in the room yesterday, though.
They are part of the aggressively innovative farming community, and it’s a breath of fresh air to be able to share my insight on what comes next with them. People would do well to learn about innovation from this group of farmers; they are open to new ideas, collaborative for advice, willing to take innovative risks, are adept with all kinds of different concepts, regularly explore new technologies, and are passionate for their purpose.
A shoutout to Will Scholze, a farmer from Humbird, Wisconsin, who was hanging out in the first row and got drafted for photo service!
Crowdsourcing matters!
Keynote: DTN Agriculture, Chicago, IL : Agriculture 2045: Weed Zapping Robots & Intelligent Plants?
DTN provides market and science related information to farmers throughout the Us, and invited me in for a keynote on the future of agriculture. With the room full of 700+ farmers and folks who work in the agricultural sector, I decided to take them on a rip-roaring ride into the future of farming – robotics, virtualized 24 hour farming, continual drone spatial analysis and more. I also filmed a pre-event that drew interest in the event – learn more about that here.
Pre-Keynote Video: A Sneak Peak of My Topic strong>
Daily Inspiration: “Think growth! Think optimism! Think like a farmer!”
“Think growth! Think optimism! Think like a farmer!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
Obviously my keynote this morning is for the agricultural industry – I’m headlining the DTN Ag Summit in Chicago for about 700 farmers, agricultural specialists, ag companies and crop consultants.
It’s a fascinating industry – my theme is ‘Agriculture 2045”, or what the industry might look like some 30 years from now.
I’ll be talking about 24 hour farming using autonomous tractors, virtual farming, robotic pickers, smart insects, micro-climate irrigation and more. There is just so much going on in this industry – and all of the things above are already happening to a degree.
Their innovative mindset has led to some huge new realities:
– corn yields have gone from 39 bushels to 153 per acre in the last 50 years
– farmers produce 44% more milk with 65% fewer cows than 1944
– soil erosion is down 32% from 1928 – today an acre of land supports one human life
– that will decrease to 1/3 acre within 35 years
– output of eggs and poultry have increased 411% from 1948 to 1994
– this year, the US posted the longest stretch of falling food prices in 50 years, due to advances in agriculture
– when planning each year, farmers must select from thousands of potential seed varietals, each tailored to particular geographic, soil and other characteristics
– it’s hugely science driven
It’s a fast moving industry, and it provides a perfect example to many other industries on how to be relentlessly innovative.
Will my talk work? Some folks think I’m a farmer! I spent so much time customizing the presentation for one agricultural conference that at the conclusion, one fellow came up and asked him how long I had been a farmer!
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