It’s not just a passing phase. Hard data suggests the world really is getting more uncertain. According to one analyst, we’re moving from a VUCA world to a BANI one: Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and … Incomprehensible! Consequently, it’s getting harder to create mid/long-term strategies with any confidence. 

But there is a way to make it easier. Business futurist and author William Higham has helped multiple clients (Amazon to Vodafone) navigate an uncertain business landscape. In his new talk he reveals how uncertainty and opportunity are like two sides of the same coin. If you handle it right, a volatile landscape can actually provide more opportunities for growth than a predictable one.

Takeaways:

• Practical methods for “future-proofing” strategy in an unpredictable environment
• A better understanding of tomorrow’s business landscape
• Ways to identify new growth opportunities around future consumer attitudes
• Several new “anchor” trends (around demographics and new needs) audiences can confidently use to inspire NPD and marketing 

Designed for: Leadership across all sectors. William can also tailor it to suit a specific industry or department.

Today’s increasingly unpredictable world is unsettling: not just for business owners but for consumers too. As they lose faith in governments, institutions - and even the future itself - customers are looking for support, advice and peace of mind wherever they can find it. 

This offers businesses a golden opportunity. By providing their customers with support in all areas of their daily lives, companies can create a community of loyal superfans. Experienced business futurist and author William Higham has helped multiple clients - from Amazon to Vodafone - anticipate shifting consumer expectations. In this talk, he reveals the types of support tomorrow’s customers will  be looking for: and how businesses can deliver it.

Takeaways:

• Practical ways companies can use AI and other new technologies to develop deeper relationships with consumers: 
• How to create Customer Experiences that make tomorrow’s consumers feel special: by combining new technologies with ‘old fashioned’ standards of service
• Best methods to build a loyal “brand family” that has no interest in switching brands: and will champion a brand’s products to friends and strangers alike
• How to build a culture of customer-centric service

Designed for: Leadership across all sectors. William can also tailor it to suit a specific industry or department.

In today’s more unpredictable business environment, companies need to be able to adopt new strategies quickly and confidently. But few companies are set up to do so. This talk provides practical advice to anyone struggling to help their workforce be more “change-friendly”.

Business is increasingly unpredictable:

Frequent disruption is inevitable today: yet 43% of leaders say their business is not set up to navigate change confidently (Magnetic, Dec 2023)

Employee engagement, mental health levels are down: conflict and resignations up. Workers are struggling to adapt: not even senior management is immune.

Companies must find a way to make their staff, managers and systems more “change-friendly” if they’re to survive in this new world.

Benefits 3 distinct audiences:

• Senior leadership (CEOs, C-Suite) who want to make their company more future-ready.
• Senior/middle managers wanting to manage uncertainty better themselves: and improve their Dynamic Leadership skills.
• HR directors/managers who want to help their workforce through times of change and/or build a change-friendly company culture.

Audiences will learn how to:

• Adapt their own attitudes and leadership styles to better navigate the new landscape.
• Help their teams deal with the emotional and business requirements of change.
• Create a more change-friendly, agile and resilient company culture / organisation.
• Use these new-found skills to gain a business advantage over their competitors.

2024’s proving another highly volatile year for business. Many executives are uncertain how to proceed. But they don’t need to be.

William has created a talk that distils all of my experience of Uncertainty Management into 6 practical processes you can adopt to help you, your teams and your company thrive in a VUCA world. 

The talk shows how to embrace uncertainty: and how to find multiple growth opportunities within it. I’ve helped leaders manage uncertainty for 10+ years: William has learned how embracing volatility is actually a great way to boost growth and gain Uncertainty Advantage. As Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna said: “You can’t overtake 15 cars in sunny weather. But you can when it’s raining.” 

The talk will suit three distinct audiences.

• Senior leaders (CEOs, C-Suite) who are looking to make their company more future-ready.
• Senior / middle managers who want to learn to manage uncertainty better themselves: and improve their Dynamic Leadership skills.
• HR managers: who are looking to help their staff through times of change and/or build a company culture that is ready for an uncertain future.

Companies that actively promote a culture of innovation are 3.5x more likely to outperform their peers. And 87% of executives believe innovation is essential to their organisation’s success and growth (McKinsey). Yet  just 36% of today’s businesses are actively innovative (DTI).

If you’re finding it hard to create an innovation culture within your company, this talk will help. Over the last 20 years, William has identified four practical things companies can do to become more innovative. 

• Identify customer-led growth opportunities
• Instil a more open, “challenger” mindset
• Manage collaborative creativity and idea generation
• Build new metrics and processes to test success

William shows you how to use these in your business – to create innovative new products and processes that’ll keep you a step ahead of the competition.

In tomorrow’s uncertain business landscape, the most successful companies won’t be those with the best products or marketing teams. They’ll be the ones that can best adapt to new circumstances. The ones with the best organisation: the most efficiently run offices, smartest workflows and resource allocation, inspiring cultures and engaged, productive employees.

But legacy environments and reporting structures are really hampering many companies’ productivity, engagement and efficiency. The introduction of hybrid was a good start – but much more needs to be done.

In this talk, William looks at what CEOs and CHROs can do to rebuild the enterprise: creating environments and organisational structures ready for the future. How to create structures that give individuals flexibility while fostering a collaborative, engaged community across hybrid workforces. That build flatter, results-driven hierarchies with a common purpose. That use new technologies like AI and IoT to empower individuals and improve workflows.

It’s not true what they say: age is not just a number. Different age groups have different work needs, expectations and drivers. Much depends on when you were born. Whether you grew up in a Boom or a Bust, with a money-oriented or moralistic culture, what tech you had, who your role models were: it all shapes your approach to work. And attitudes can clash when your boss’ or teammates’ generations don’t share them.

What do your Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z employees want? How can you meet those needs while keeping everyone happy? This talk explores what shaped each generation, what they value at work and how to help them ‘play nicely’ together.

I’ve led cross-generational teams and projects aimed at specific generations. I’ve spent years tracking how needs evolve and what works across ages. I turn my insights into clear, practical advice audiences can use immediately, alongside the lively discussions and surprising reflections it always sparks.