Get There Early: Sensing the Future to Compete in the Present [Hardcover]

Bob Johansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

Nobody can predict the future, but you still have to make sense of it to be successful. Leaders are facing a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity--a world laced with dilemmas. "Get There Early" shows how to sense the future to provoke new ways of understanding the present. Institute for the Future's Distinguished Fellow Bob Johansen uses 35 years of 10-year forecasting to unpack complex dilemmas and help leaders seed innovation and strategy. "Get There Early" helps leaders resolve the constant tension between judging too soon (the classic mistake of the problem solver) and deciding too late (the classic mistake of the academic).

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"No one can guide leaders from every sector through the challenges of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world like Bob Johansen! As one of our leading thinkers, he offers insights, advice and practical steps we can use to anticipate the future."
--Robert Ivany, Former Commandant, US Army War College; current President, University of St. Thomas

"Get There Early is an indispensable new book for today's business leaders. We at Procter & Gamble having been working with IFTF and Johansen for many years, and have found their forecasts of the future and the process of taking these to action extremely helpful."
--Robert McDonald, Vice Chairman for Global Operations, The Procter & Gamble Company

"'Foresight to Insight' has been extremely valuable to inform and provoke the Campbell's s strategy. We worked with Johansen and IFTF to identify the Driving Forces and Impact Areas through a ten-year lens. The map we created will continue to influence how we lead and deliver on our mission to `nourish people's lives everywhere, everyday.'"
--Denise M. Morrison, President, Campbell USA

"Johansen's methodology of using foresight to stimulate insight is a starting point for understanding the effects of current demographic shifts on tomorrow's world."
--David E. Hayes-Bautista, Professor of Medicine, UCLA, and author of La Nueva California: Latinos in the Golden State

"Charities seek to make the world a better place. Get There Early is essential reading for us, since it teaches the why, what, and how in one source. If we don't get there early, we probably won't get there at all."
--Stephen Bennett, President and CEO, United Cerebral Palsy

"Johansen demystifies the proven tools of forecasting so they're accessible to everyone. Get There Early is a DIY handbook for anyone curious about the future."
--David Pescovitz, Co-Editor, BoingBoing.net; Editor-at-Large, MAKE; and Contributing Writer, Wired

"A masterful book, full of professional and personal wisdom and great examples every step of the way to getting you there first. If you are leading or hoping to lead in today's world, this is the stuff you don't get in school--but must have to compete."
--Bradley A. Perkins, MD, MBA, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

About the Author

Bob Johansen, was president and CEO of the Institute for the Future from 1996 to 2004. The Institute for the Future (IFTF), spun off from the Rand Corporation in 1968, is an independent nonprofit think tank in Silicon Valley that has been doing ten-year forecasting for more than 30 years. IFTF makes sense out of alternative futures to help organizations make better decisions in the present. IFTF works with a wide range of clients, including Procter & Gamble, Deloitte, Disney, Office Depot, Ford, General Motors, HP, Intel, BP, the Lego Company, BMW, IBM, France Telecom, the UK Government Department of Trade and Industry, Unilever, Target, Tesco, Eastman Chemical, Best Buy, Honda, Steelcase, Herman Miller, Sutter Health, Ascension Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Humana, DuPont, Monsanto, Swisscom, Diageo, McNeil Nutritionals, and Time Warner. Bob recently retired as IFTF's CEO -- though he remains on its Board and Leadership Team -- to spend more time consulting with IFTF sponsors, writing, and speaking. He works mainly with senior executives -- CEO's, presidents, directors on innovation, and others across a wide range of industries. One of the first social scientists to study the human and organizational impacts of what came to be called the Internet and related technologies, Bob's focus is primarily three to ten years out into the future. He has a deep interest in the future of religion and its impact on business, society, and individuals. A social scientist with an interdisciplinary background, Bob holds a BS degree from the University of Illinois, where he also played varsity basketball, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Bob also has a divinity school degree from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, where he studied comparative religions.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 258 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; First Edition edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576754405
• ISBN-13: 978-1576754405
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bob Johansen was president and CEO of the Institute for the Future from 1996 to 2004 and is now the IFTF Distinguished Fellow, as well as serving on its board. Bob has worked for more than 30 years as a forecaster, exploring the human side of new technologies. He has a deep interest in the future of religion and its impact on business, society, and individuals. Bob works mainly with senior corporate executives across a wide range of industries. Bob is a frequent keynote speaker. He has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses. He is the author of six books, including Upsizing the Individual in the Downsized Organization with novelist Rob Swigart, a guide for organizations undergoing technological change and reengineering, and GlobalWork with Mary O'Hara-Devereaux, a guide to managing global, cross-cultural teams. A social scientist with an interdisciplinary background, Bob holds a BS degree from the University of Illinois, where he also played varsity basketball, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Bob also has a divinity school degree from what is now called Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, where he studied comparative religions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent roadmap to help you stay ahead of the curve, February 11, 2009

By 

Rebecca Clement "Publisher, Soundview Executi... (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get There Early: Sensing the Future to Compete in the Present (Hardcover)

Whether you work at a corporation, non-for-profit or government agency, one of the biggest challenges facing any organization is planning for the future. At the heart of the planning process is educational guessing, which is most commonly known as forecasting. In his book Get There Early, Bob Johansen, former president and CEO of the Institute for the Future (IFTF), - (yes, such an organization does exist) - shares tactics developed at the IFTF to help organizations plot a future-road map. To that end, the book outlines five key drivers that establish the foundational context for what Johansen calls the "10-Year Forecast" that he believes will ultimately impact all of us. Additionally, the author uses examples from Apple, Wal-Mart, IBM and Disney to showcase how these organizations continue to stake claims far ahead of their competitors - recognizing future challenges and opportunities before others. Soundview recommends this book because of the compelling value it places on the process of forecasting itself, not necessarily the outcomes. Basically, a forecast doesn't have to be spot on to add value to an organization. The mere exercise of organizational hypothesizing can generate new strategies, approaches to problems and powerful insights. We predict you will like this book!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prepare for the future! "Get There Early", November 24, 2008

By 

Alan Edward Yue (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Get There Early: Sensing the Future to Compete in the Present (Hardcover)

We cannot predict the future, but we can prepare for and possibly shape the outcomes. This is a really great book that conveys a process of "Foresight to Insight to Action" to make sense of, and to address possible futures. Further discussion about gleaning Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility in a world that is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous is also helpful. Finally, an exploration of the difference between "problem solving" and "dilemma sense-making" is a key concept for a shift in thinking in how to mangage through the challenges that face us today, and in the future.

This book is very useful for those who must think strategically to lead their organizations. I have benefitted both personally and professionaly from the content of this book.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent account, GET THERE EARLY is perfect for business collections, October 17, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get There Early: Sensing the Future to Compete in the Present (Hardcover)

GET THERE EARLY: SENSING THE FUTURE TO COMPETE IN THE PRESENT provides a survey of techniques developed by the Institute for the Future, which has been refining such ideas for nearly forty years. It develops the Institute's three-step Foresight to Insight to Action cycle that allows readers to understand and navigate the world of dilemmas and problems, using simulation gaming and real-world problems to encourage innovative thinking and strategies. An excellent account, GET THERE EARLY is perfect for business collections appealing to business and community leaders.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch