Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  December 26, 2013

Looking Ahead

Now that the gifts are opened and the feast is eaten, let’s relax and contemplate our future. Heads up: according to this R&D spending report from Booz and Company, we’re moving from innovation to digital disruption. Fasten your seat belt. It’s gonna get bumpy.

Why do we care about R&D spending? Because the tools outlined here will have a huge ripple effect. Yes, they will disrupt our space. This new apparatus will impact how innovation is implemented and will force us to rethink our roles. Now is the time to learn more and think about our response.

Example: how organizations compute and use customer insights will be overhauled very soon. If you are a sales or marketing expert, what does that do to your business?

Here’s my formula for reacting to trends: first, what exactly is going on? Don’t assume at 30,000 feet. Drill down a few levels to find out for sure. Second, what is the impact? What will be destroyed and what will be the replacement? Third, what can I contribute in the new environment? What do I have to get rid of and what can I keep in order to stay relevant?

Keep calm and carry on.