Thinking in the Future Tense [Paperback]

Jennifer James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 1997

Explains the changes that are taking place in the business world and offers advice on obtaining the skills not only to survive, but to prosper. These include: perspective - the ability to identify the important changes; energy - doing more with less; and

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Much is said these days about building bridges to the 21st century, and savvy businesspeople are constantly on the lookout for ways to make this colorful metaphor into reality. Thinking in the Future Tense: Leadership Skills for a New Age, by author and business lecturer Jennifer James, clearly establishes the framework for a real-world transition. James suggests what conduct might be necessary for long-term success and explains how it should be implemented. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

James focuses on qualities she says contribute to better leadership, such as perspective, cultural knowledge and valuing diversity. A Washington urban cultural anthropologist, she concentrates on the impact of social trends and fads in America. She notes that success in business and life requires rapid change, that leadership in the 1990s must be different to be effective. Improvements come from mastering "new forms of intelligence." However, too many glib generalizations and the lack of practical leadership suggestions mar the book. Also, one could ask if good leadership qualities really change rapidly, or if the basic qualities tend to stay the same. First serial to Working Woman.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (September 4, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684832690
• ISBN-13: 978-0684832692
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,246,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thinking in the Future Tense: A Workout for the Mind, February 10, 2000

By 

"mshioji" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thinking in the Future Tense (Paperback)

Jennifer James book uses anthropological words to discuss how we can prepare for the future. Being prepared for the future is the key to being successful in the future. James indicates that by using thinking skills to develop perspective, cultural knowledge, and pattern recognition. Along with a few other skills, they makeup what is essential to be a high powered, on-the-cutting- edge leader or a rising underling in an organization. James also indicates that there will have to be a change process and says that taking seven steps (seeing the window, exploration, integration, plunge, landing, evaluation, sharing) in that process will allow for a smooth transition. James also discusses 8 skills that are needed to think about the future. Having the right perspective, recognizing what is the future, switching myths and symbols of the past, speeding up response time (flexibility, transition change), understanding history for future use, doing more with more or less (balance life, creating energy), mastering new intelligence (thinking and future skills), and profiting from diversity (multicultural, multigender workplaces). I am impressed by the information that was given to back up her ideas on the future. The book is a little disorganized, but it's a great start for someone, like me, to start thinking about how and why they should be thinking about changing for the future. The book was easy to understand and readable. I like how she incorporated her stories as examples; it kept the book light and interesting. A good book to read to begin thinking and planning about the future.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Future: Something to Shoot For, February 11, 2000

By 

Jamie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thinking in the Future Tense (Paperback)

Jennifer James' introduction to Thinking in the Future Tense begins with the tale of lifelong dream - climbing the Himalayans. In many respects the book appears to continue as an uplifting dream - one of human society living together in openness and reason. James' dream seems strikingly similar to the one Martin Luther King, Jr. described in his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, one where people "are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Such dreams are noble ones.

James identifies eight skills needed in order to "think in the future tense." These skills are perspective, pattern recognition, cultural knowledge, flexibility, vision, energy, intelligence, and global values. For her, when one embraces each of these skills an enriching, exciting, and rewarding future will follow. By recognizing change and going with the flow of it, one can harness it to personal advantage is her logic.

Four trends that are drivers of new products and services include increasing complexity and customization, miniaturization, multitasking, and mind/body adaptability. These trends pose new challenges as well as new opportunities for long established businesses and budding entrepreneurs alike.

Coping with the rapid change ushering in the future requires a skillful blend of high energy, lifelong learning, good communication and negotiation skills, financial skills, and a balanced lifestyle. As workers gain greater flexibility in employment, the value of security diminishes. A sense of humor and critical thinking skills will allow future professionals to thrive in a diverse environment with people of varied races, ethnicities, and gender. Inclusive approaches to diversity contribute to a broader pool of ideas, therefore to a competitive edge.

James, like King, dreams of a marketplace and workforce of strong alliances, less tyranny, new civility, and more nonviolence. Let's hope they're both right.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars are you ready to think of the future?, February 12, 2001

By 

Y. Zhu (Honolulu, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thinking in the Future Tense (Paperback)

If you want to start to think of the future practically, clearly, and spiritually, James's book "Thinking in the future tense" is a right beginning. This book did not try to answer those questions, such as how to foresee the future, what the future will look like, etc, but can help you to answer a more basic question: are you ready to think in the future tense?

This is a handbook about helping you how to adapt yourself successfully to the future change. In this book, James presents eight skills which are essential for understanding what the future will look like, meeting the challenges of the future, especially for those in a leadership role.

These eight skills are deployed in eight chapters separately. In first three chapters, James identifies the necessities and importance of three skills, perspective, patterns and myths in detail. In fact, those three skills are very interactive. the perspective is shaped by experience, knowledge, memory, and also the myths. The myths are one kind of patterns which represent the culture's deepest beliefs and perception. The perspective also influences the pattern of recognizing the present and future.

In following four chapters, James presents more practical processes to enhance the abilities in future thinking: being flexible and visional, creating energy and security, identifing your intelligence, and measuring your diversity experience. To make those ways more persuasive, she interweaves with a lot of brief stories, which also make the book more readable.

In fact, those skills and processes are not only benefit for your future thinking, but also helping yourselves to envolve new personalities and new characters. On the other hand, just as printed on the book cover that "the key to the future is in your mind", most skills and processes mentioned in this book are based on the past experience, the personal abilities, and the future efforts. There is no shortcut toward the future.

To my personal experience, this book does enlighten my mind in several ways, such as the power of myths and symbols, lodge cultures, observing energy, wild cards. On the other hand, although all skills and processes described in this book seem so reasonable and practicable to me, I more prefer several insightful sparkles sprinkling in the beginning of the book. Such as, the thrill in front of grave, first step in putting five-thousand-piece puzzle together, imagine yourself in front of the stairway of spaceship, the mind like a popcorn popper etc. The attraction of the future just relies on the dilemma between uncertainty of the future and human endless curiosity to imagine and foresee the future.