Look at this smiling face. This is what a future strategist looks like!
Today, I and twelve other participants from Sweden, Finland, Romania, Belgium, United Kingdom, Mexico, and the United States finally completed a course to become certified future strategists. I can easily say that this was the best course I have ever got involved. And when I say that, you should believe me because I have a bachelors degree in art, a bachelors degree in science, a masters degree in science and a doctoral degree in mechatronics. I have good insights on how good and bad courses feel like.
When I left the place that I have visited every month for three days during last 4 months, I felt accomplished, proud that I had taken a step away from my comfort zone but also emotional and sad to know that I will not meet the participants and the facilitators next month again. Today, on my way back home, I was thinking about this and trying to understand why I felt this way. Then I decided to answer the question that we have been asked at the beginning of the course as the first thing: what is a future strategist, really? That time, I and other participants gave different answers about what we think a future strategist is. As a result, we draw the most beautiful mindmap to a huge whiteboard.
Today, at the end of this journey, I would say something different, more personal as an answer to that question because I had the chance to meet many future strategists on the way. The future strategist is the person who checks your socks and knows that the print is Andy Warhol’s artwork. The future strategist is the person who shares a list of book titles every time you meet. The future strategist is that young, energetic person who will change the world with you and the wise one who already changed it and you know how. The future strategist is the best presenter who put a video from Monty python’s Life of Brian to explain how scenario crosses that he tried did not really worked. The future strategist is the person who makes you cry when she presents possible scenarios for her country and you know she is the hope for a better future. The future strategist is the one who knows what sustainability is and talks about cases that you did not even hear about. She is the one who teaches you what social employment means, or he is the one who uses lego figures to talk about the importance of vaccination. She is the healthcare specialist who can describe to you how the Chinese word crises include not only danger but also opportunity. Or she is the one who is in the middle of the crisis really, but working enthusiastically and taking responsibility so bravely. He is the one that you will always remember when you drink beer and he is going to be the strategist behind the revolutionary ideas of the future beer industry. You know that she will make Stockholm one way or other a better place because she is not only an architect or city planner, she is also someone who cares about being different and encourages it. The future strategist is the person who dances tango, speaks many languages that I couldn’t even count and has a huge heart. He is the one who will change the viewpoint of the educators and help them to teach better. She is the one who may not be good with flowers but I know she is wonderful with people.
This is what a future strategist looks like. They are the best and I am the luckiest person to have the chance to meet and work with them. Now, I do not only know what to do, how to do but I also know these wonderful people who I can do things together. We are very well-prepared to shake what you know about the future. If you are in doubt to deal with the fast-changing world, try us!
Didem Gürdür Broo 