Fc 3.0; creating our entangled futures...

12 INITIAL VOICES ON FUTURE CENTERS 3.0 “An exciting and diverse alliance of pioneering people and organizations that believe that "the best way to understand the future is to help create it."

FC 3.0

CREATING OUR ENTANGLED FUTURES

PURPOSE, PRINCIPLES, DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, PROTOTYPING

Foreword Future Center 3.0

When does the Future start? According to some research from Japan it starts in about 14 seconds. Are you ready?

To prepare for the forthcoming navigation one way is to refine a Mind space

Leif Edvinsson

called Future Center. This booklet is about some of the global experiences from more than 20 years of prototyping since the start of Skandia Future Center in Sweden in 1996. Now it has been followed by many both in Europe

May, 2017

and Asia, especially Japan, with its Future Center Alliance Japan.

The Future Center was initially for Enterprise purpose but it also became applied to Society and Public Sector Institutions. The core of a Future Center is as a prototyping space for the Organizational Structural Capital design to support and multiply the Human Capital potential and development. The simple cultural formula might be summarized to SCxHC>1. The concept design and prototyping has now been experienced by thousands of people around the world.

Our global context seems to accelerate? To prepare we need to refine the approach of Foresearch. Foresearch is among others cultivating a mindset flow of looking ahead and dream, embrace the unexpected, inductive prototyping, cocreating impact and phronetic balancing. The simplistic formula might be 1+1=11. Foresearch is a conceptual navigational perspective that I started to develop many years ago. It is based on among others societal learning from Dragomans or Knowledge Navigators in Ragusa. There they had already a societal intelligence system in progress, more than 600 years ago. The system was focused on perceiving the weak

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signals, of threats and opportunities, in the surrounding spaces

in a pop up approach, for specific futurizing tasks. It will refine

in Mediterranean and transforming them into Societal Intelligence,

tools to nourish the process and culture of continous renewal.

for Defence and Progress perspectives.

Some voices indicate that the organizational framework for Future

This online booklet with voices on Future Center 3.0 will invite to take inititives, to reduce the Ignorance for Renewal on both Enterprise level but most of all on Societal Institutional levels.

Social media hacking on a cross national approach is distorting our perspectives. Values undertanding with Purpose, Principles and Vision are critical dimensions to avoid facing more and more

Center has a life cycle of some 10 years or less. The need for agility and extended intelligence might demand new technology media networking as well as neuro science integration. This is sometimes also phrased as going from Product business to People Business. The core there is the culture & mind flow between brains, like in a Knowledge Café.

social unrest, due to lacking of Navigational Leadership. As the

Many more voices have been invited but not yet been inserted.

founder of VISA once said ‘ we are living in an Era of Institutional

So we invite you as reader to share your foresearch, perspectives

failure’. Consequently a major part of the public sector is in need

and suggestions on the FB/Linkedin/ or emerging new dialogue

of organizational renewal. I call this Societal Innovation,

approaches.

addressing the need for new frameworks and infrastructure to leverage the Human potential of the citizens. Indy Johar, pioneering organizational architect says: For any innovation Lab to be meaningful in terms of its impact, it has to be envisioned as as organisational developments infrastructure – building the capacity for the whole of the organisation to innovate and

We collaborate as Future Center Alliance, http:// www.futurecenteralliance.com/, with among others Living Bridges and Impact Navigators on increasing the interactivity for next generation Future Center Happy Future

become responsive to a changing world. Reimagine the nature & design of Public Innovation Labs – as key instruments for interventional capacity.

Next generation Future Centers, based on the initial Future Center recipe book (https://www.slideshare.net/rondvir/open-

leifedvinsson@gmail.com +46705925078 Founder of the World´s First Future Center

futures-book) and our gained 20 years experiences, might result ii

Voice from Finland

Future Center 3.0 – building on past for the future Bror Salmelin, May 2017 


Bror Salmelin

Future Center 3.0 – building on past for the future Future Centers were created twenty years ago to shape the

The phenomenon started in Sweden, and took wind soon in

transition of work and workplaces. This starting point was and is

other countries like the Netherlands as well. The new thinking

still very relevant. In late 1990's telework was taking shape but

seems to be well based also in the societal fabric and the ways

still as "normal work" in "normal workplaces", i.e. the

societies function. Hence in certain countries the take-up of the

organizational changes as opportunities were not taken into

methods of the Future Centers are easier than in others.

account. Still organizations were quite stiff, teamwork was a buzzword, but widely not that much happened. In some countries like France teleworking principles were stated, but still, transformation of work and work organizations were slow.

Future Centers and the approach to work, workplace and creativity is more needed today than actually ever before. We see the transformation of jobs and society stronger than before; this transformation is directly affecting not only the jobs but the

By introducing Future Centers with collaboration and creativity

organizations as well. Hence the Future Centers have an entirely

aspects the drive for changed work organization was changed.

new role to play as well: to explore new cross-organizational

Collaborative, stimulating spaces were created, new methods

work patterns, competence and leadership configuration not

based on understanding of the human creative mind were

based on organizational structures but based on the tasks to be

created. Interdependencies and multidimensionality was

performed. The dynamics of the tasks are increasingly based on

highlighted, leading to clearly better results in the spirit of the

the purpose, not the organizational, traditional way.

workplaces, and the work itself.

This all leads to the need of the Future Centers exploring new

Soon the Future Centre's developed conceptually towards

professions but also to interlink the Future3 Center spaces and

Creativity Centers producing new ways of thinking and doing –

methodologies to the external, real world to capture the full

very important to move to real world with the results as well.

potential of the open, quadruple helix approach. Future Centers are part of open innovation ecosystems, or even better they are 4

part of networked ecosystems as that reflects best the nature of

Looking forward for the next twenty years. Future Centers are

future knowledge intense workplaces and jobs.

needed more than ever before as the transformation due to

New jobs needed are the bridgers who build the connections of knowledge, making collisions of ideas for innovation. The curators

digitalization has wide spread eects for everyone and every organization.

take care of consistency and quality of contents to be bridged, the orchestrators tune the competencies and the contents to perform the purpose oriented tasks, and the systems designer creates the environment (often including the communications and interactions tools) to make this new dynamics possible.

Talent flows nowadays easier than ever; the world is flat in that sense, but only in the flow sense. Talent attracts talent to environments where innovation happens faster and with higher success rate. Do we have these spikes for positive collisions? 
 
 Do we have spaces for this new knowledge dynamics, and how do we integrate the knowledge to action? I think that the Future Centers together with the ecosystems capturing the full spectrum of knowledge to create new are in the centre. Around them in the ecosystem we need to have maker spaces, modern meeting places, new generation of libraries for people to mingle, create, reflect and to create entirely new products, services, and societal fabric. Future Centers do have not an important role in this but also a leading role in interlinking all the needed elements, as a glue.

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Voice from Israel

FC 3.0 - The Normal Way of Doing Ron Dvir, May 2017

Ron Dvir

FC 3.0 - The Normal Way of Doing The Origins and the Wow Factor

teams offered a completely different approach which they called

grow at the educational field itself, that every teacher can (and

I always thought that Future Centers are very special places, unique in the way they look, feel and operated. Each of the many centers I worked with had its own “Wow factor”, something that

“the capsule”. They claimed that innovation should and could should) also act as an educational entrepreneur, and that the teachers’ room can act as an innovation center.

turned it into an interesting story to tell about. Future Centers

A week later, I visited such a teacher room in a school in Atlit.

were always completely different than the normal places we are

Bingo. It can be done, The second source for inspiration are the

used to work at. Over the years, a kind of tourism was developed

stories of my son, who works now in a startup in Palo Alto. When

around them - people did cross continents and oceans, literally,

a talks about the way they do things , I identify many of the

to visit future centers, and bring back home inspirations and

operating principles of Future Centers that were articulated by

insights. There were exciting years.

the Open Futures consortium. And his stories are not unique to

his company - this is the day to day reality in the global startup

Three inspirational places

ecosystem for many millions of brilliant people. The third place

I believe that it is time for a new paradigm. Three places were my sources for inspirations. The first is the ordinary teachers room, the one that exist in each school. I co-facilitated recently a twoday workshop aimed at developing a network of educational

that helped me to rethink about Future Centers is the famous Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto. As it happens, I am visiting right now Kyoto, and today in the early evening I walked along this two kilometer magical path. This walk led me to new perspectives.

innovation centers. Initially we thought of a network of 16 regional future centers and p a national one. However, one of the

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The New Normal

How to inject the Future Center DNA into normal organizations and places? The challenge is huge.

Reflecting back on the principles of Future Centers and their

Embedding Future Center thinking in normal organizational

Building Blocks, I think they all make sense and are as relevant

requires deep cultural change. The principle that was mentioned

and fresh as they were when Skandia Future Center the

above, “equal voice” Perhaps we can draw some insights from a

grandmother of all Future Centers, was started-up. Let’s look for

deep cultural transformation that happened in the very same

example at some of the Future Center Operating Principles:

country of the Philosophers Path.

“dreaming thinking playing doing”, “equal voice”, “focus on impact”, “focus on the future”, “contactivity”.

Edward Deming, with his 14 points of Quality Management, has led to a deep cultural transformation in the industrial world. What

All eleven are already the normal was of doing business in

can we learn from him? Another hint might come from the world

startups and growing number of the types of organizations. All are

of technology. Could advanced and emerging technologies act as

the normal way of doing education in that Atlit school and can be

platforms for embedding the Future Center thinking, mind-set and

applied to other schools. And if we examine the “building blocks

principles in normal work situations?

of future centers”, we will see a similar pattern. Think of example about “good a nd inspiring physical spaces”, “systematic

A final thought is a circular one: perhaps full scale, “classical”

methodologies to co-create solutions for complex problems” and

Future Centers are still critical for this transformation. Could they

“information technologies to support collaboration and

still act as intensive demonstrations site - where people come,

prototyping”. They can be realized in many normal workplaces, in

experience a new possible way of doing things and get inspired

our normal day to day working or learning life.

and energized to implement what they experienced in their normal working environment?

Perhaps, instead of building new dedicated Future Centers, designing their Wow factor and recruiting their special team, we

could focus on bringing the Future Center principles into the normal office, the ordinary teachers room. They can act as Future Centers - right in the heart of the real world, close to the people, owned by them.

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Voice from Sweden

Future Center 3.0 Leif Edvinsson, May 2017

Leif Edvinsson

Future Center 3.0 What is it that the Gutsy Generation should bring along from FC 3.0?

Perhaps is it the way of thinking? The Future Center I was a part of establishing in May 1996, as Skandia Future Center, was very much about the Mindset, among others to reduce the fear to enter the Future? The more traditional dimension is about increasing the Knowing of tomorrow. To increase the awareness, authenticy and knowing level. Notice that the verb. In Asia the Knowing is a Flow, while in the Western part Knowledge is an object!

The blindness or not knowing is spreading with a rapid pace.

Recently referred to a alternative facts. It might be a kind of denying the process of getting to a deeper insight?

What is the core and deepening question for FC 3.0?

Is FC an impossiblity? Anyhow since we started in Sweden in 2016, there has been followed by a number of Future Centers both in Europe as well as especially in Asia. They might be called FC 2.0. Now it is time for the next generation of FC, i.e. FC3.0.

FC 3.0 as a platform for C&C C&C stands for Connectivity, as amplified by the digitalization 
 and internet of things, but also Contactivity. This dimension is also called Relational Capital. It is the inter mediary space between people and their brains. 


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Traditional internet communication is operating with only a limited

insourcing the flow from outside and heating it up to raise to a

number of senses. So you might look for how to improve the

higher level of thrust and trust. The formula is 1+1=11. This

sense-making? A FC is a remarkable platform for this. It might be

impact might be measured as experiential value.

interactive dialogues, but also the space design to reduce barriers. It might be operating like a good smelling knowledge café.

In doing this the FC 3.0 will actually prototype a new metrics of the cultural value of as well as the experiential value. This is now also called the TCN-Triple Bottom line a a more holistic value

FC 3.0 as a Thoughtware

mapping.

With the growing network of FC a special recipe booklet was

FC 3.0 as a Wise Place

once produced. It might now be time to update that one, into a new Thoughtware. The first generation was produced based on experiences in Europe, among others in Future Center Alliance.

The evolution of the more than 50 FC in Japan has resulted ina FC Alliance Japan. In this community the insights has also resulted in seeing the FC as a Wise Place. This is described by Prof. Noburo Konno is a another special booklet.

FC 3.0 as a testbed for Societal Innovation One of our huge challenges of today is the renewal and redesign of Societal Infrastructure for Renewal. Societal Innovation is in the reregulation. To be able to achieve this in a peaceful way a FC with focus on Peace Innovation might be the tool. Early efforts are in progress to establish FC for City purpose as well as seeing the whole City as a Lab. There are also a few Peace Innovation Labs.

The new Thoughtware should be recipes to make impact by a special Futurizing culture. Such an enterprise outcome was also called the Augmented Enterprise by the late prof. Dr Douglas Englebart. It is a systems dynamics like the high pressure,

FC 3.0 might have an instrumental role to play here?

In the poor and agricultural Sweden we got a Law in 1842 to requite schooling of all children. Today Sweden is ranked among the top performing Knowledge societies. Is there a connecting bridge for FC 3.0?

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Voice from Japan

Future Centre 3.0: Where western societal innovation and eastern “Ba� concepts meets Naoki Ogiwara, May 2017

Naoki Ogiwara

Future Centre 3.0: Where western societal innovation and eastern “Ba” concepts meets Since its inception, Future Centre concept and practice have

The FC movement spread out across Europe and then landed,

been evolving through the dynamic interaction between western

or perhaps was reimported, to Japan in 2007, when KDI

and eastern thinking. The first modern Future Centre was

(Knowledge Dynamics Initiative), consulting/research group that

founded in 1996 by Prof. Leif Edvinsson, then the VP for

I belonged at that time launched its Future Centre as the first one

Intellectual Capital of the Swedish insurance company, Skandia.

in Japan. The concept also spread out across Japan fairly, and

It was built as a mechanism to turn future into value, based on

nowadays, Japan has the more FCs than any other countries do.

the western concept of intellectual capital management.

Through the FC movement, one of the central focus of Japanese

This is a famous story about the origin of the FC. It is perhaps

FCs has been shaped towards “wise Ba,” which serves as

less known that Edvinsson’s thinking had been influenced by a

innovation accelerating environment. Let’s call it east-meets-

Japanese “Ba” concept, which was the foundation of the

west FC 2.0.

organizational knowledge creation theory originated by Prof. Ikujiro Nonaka.

So, east-meets-west FC 3.0? I would envision the next hybrid of eastern and western thinking even in more dynamic ways.

“Ba” is a Japanese concept which roughly means place.

Currently, one of the key focuses around Future Centre in the

Nonaka applied the “Ba” concept in his knowledge creation

western world is on societal innovation, whereas “wise Ba” is

theory as a key enabling condition in which dynamic human

centered in the east. Apparently, these two views have a lot in

process among individuals take place. Edvinsson has put the

common, such as seeing societal challenges as opportunities,

“Ba” concept into practice through combining it with intellectual

not threats, and pursuing open innovation among diverse players

capital management concept. That’s east-meets-west FC 1.0.

from public, private, academic and civil sectors. At the same time, they have some different perspectives which could date 13

back to their origins: future centre suggests a place that lasts for a long time, whereas “ba” presupposes more ad hoc, contextual time and place in which people interact. If we combine these two perspectives in more profound way, Future Centre becomes absolutely imperative for the knowledge-based society, which would be called FC 3.0.

© Naoki Ogiwara, Knowledge Associates Japan Ltd.

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Voice from Sweden

Future Centers 3.0 – the new compass, necessary and desperately needed.

Magnus JĂśrgel, May 2017

Magnus Jörgel

Future Centers 3.0 – the new compass, necessary and desperately needed.

From the very first encounter I had with future centers, in

(exploring questions, reframing challenges, giving disruptive and

Waxholm at the Skandia Future Center, the importance and

provocative new insights), the breakthrough phase (co-creation,

relevance have always been very clear to me. This view has not

co-working, experimenting with first prototypes), the test phase

always been shared by politicians and other high level decision

(developing prototypes, testing prototypes, and new insights),

makers, or rather, many acknowledge the importance, and then

and finally the mandate phase (framing results in a policy

choose to turn a blind eye to the future process and its results.

context, and taking action).

I argue that there are a number of reasons for this, the world is

All of these aspects are in place already, as stand alone

becoming an increasingly more complex place, the urge to

activities; Camps for societal innovation, Future Centers 1.0,

“make sense” of things here and now seems overwhelming, the

living labs, policy labs, future labs, innovation labs and an array

world seems to move at an ever-increasing speed, knowledge

of other activities. The unique opportunity is to develop a

and information is abundant and at the tip of our fingers in an

concept that encompasses all of this, not necessarily at the

instant, and finally results are expected here and now.

same place, or with the same expertise, but certainly within the

All of this could be tackled by Future Centers 3.0; to me this is a concept that takes a contextual grip on the whole process, moving from fuzzy question or challenge; to a created prototype

same process, and working through interconnecting many different networks, could be the way forward, and one basis for Future Center 3.0.

or concept that can be tested. Building on the 12 operating

What are the aspects, or functions, a Future Center 3.0 needs to

principles of Future Centers, adding, or reinforcing, the notion of

achieve this? For me, this comes down to a number of different

being societal and policy inclined, Future Center 3.0 could

activities; there needs to be disruptive conversations and gentle

encompass the whole chain of activities needed to form real

provocations, there needs to be an influx of knowledge (known

policy innovation by working with the future; the fuzzy phase

and unknown), one needs to be able to visualize the future (using 16

the arts, stories, virtual reality, science fiction), one needs to see

results. All parts are needed to create solid actionable results, and

“what is out there”; (seeing examples already existing today).

there must be a framework, a process and some facilitation to get

In a Future Center 3.0 set up, there need to be processes and

the parts to work together, - Future Center 3.0 could be that

space to experiment and use laboratory techniques -real

framework.

innovation-. The process needs to encompass strong learning possibilities and knowledge creation, cooperative and inclusive.

What all of this means to me is that this process need strong coordination and facilitation; - this will not happen by itself, this is also why I strongly believe in the need for a physical place for the process. Of course it is a space using all modern techniques to show, spread, coordinate activities, and in the end there will still be a place for direct human interaction and for pen and paper.

In Skåne this will be prototyped and validated during 2017-2018.

With the working name of Öresund Future Hub, an entrepreneurial small business will take the lead in conceptualizing, prototyping and making a business model that gives solid, specific results that can be used by decision makers. Here the future will be explored, discovered and co-created, challenges on a global scale will be tackled in a regional set up; and prototypes and policy suggestions will be packaged and disseminated so that action can be taken, and scaled up for global use.

I believe that the many different aspects of societal innovation and work on the future, what it might be, how we can reach it in a way we want, and also how we actually shape our own future needs –needs just this holistic context to give good, long lasting, 17

Voice from The Netherlands

Next Generation Future Centers

Paul Iske, May 2017

Paul Iske

Next Generation Future Centers In the past years, we have seen a growing interest in so-called

featured in his book, do not exist any longer! The reason for this

Future Centers. The website of the Global Future Center Alliance

is that the world changes with an unprecedented pace and

offers the following definition for a Future Center: “Future

organizations, including Future Centers, have to complete

Centers are facilitated working and meeting environments that

reinvent themselves on a regular basis, in order to become a

are helping organizations to prepare for the future in a proactive,

‘Next Generation Organization’. This term can be interpreted in

collaborative and systematic way.”

two ways: It is the new manifestation of the organization, but

FC 3.0

The first Future Center was developed by Leif Edvinsson for Skandia in Sweden in 1998. Since then, many comparable

also the organization for the next generation, who will be different in many ways!

concepts have been developed, all over the world

(most of all in Europe and Asia, in particular in Japan).

So, how about Next Generation Future Centers? How will/must they be different compared to the concepts we have seen in the

In almost 20 years, Future Centers have proven to create value for organizational and societal issues and opportunities, by

facilitating the generation, sharing, combination and exploitation of knowledge and ideas. However, time moves on and also

Future Centers come and go. In his famous book ‘The Living Organization’, Arie de Geus explains why and how some organizations can survive much longer than others.

past 20 years? A Future Center is an ‘environment’, best described as: “All of the biotic and abiotic factors that act on an organism, population or ecological community and influence its survival and development.” Nowadays, people, organizations and society are very different in the way they communicate, work together, socialize and create value. The world is hyperconnected, more dynamic and complex.

But even most of the examples of long-living organizations that

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Next Generation Future Centers must reflect these developments

Next Generation Future Centers will be ‘O-zones’, where people

and in the four spaces: process/organization, culture/social,

come and join to give and receive positive energy, leading to

virtual/digital and physical/real space, there will be a shift more

impact. This is the Value Case of the Future Center new style as it

towards the possibilities offered by new technologies for

was for the Future Centers in the past two decades: Create Value

connecting and combining cognitive and social spaces. So, we

in all domains, creating and levering Economic, Societal and

will see the extension of the future centers more into the virtual

Intellectual Capital.

space, inviting people from all over the world to join. So, though the physical location still has its geographical limitations, the virtual components could be global.

So, even more than before, Future Centers have the potential to connect people and organizations and to present a view to the outside world and to the future. This is necessary, because problems and solutions become even more complex and require new combinations, that should me made fast and efficient. But in order to achieve this, the environment of the Future Center has to adapt as well: We have to make more and better use of new ways of combining intelligence, including AI, which best could be described as ‘Additional Intelligence’. Future Centers will become more Smart, Connected and Agile. The latter means that it should be possible to create ‘Pop-up Future Centers’, focusing on an actual theme, which could be dissolved after achieving the sought-for outcomes (or when no more progress can be made, including a possible ‘Brilliant Failure’).

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Voice from Hong Kong

Future Center 3.0 Rongbin W.B.Lee, May 2017

Rongbin W.B.Lee

Future Center 3.0 The Knowledge Management and Innovation Research Centre.

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University What is the primary function of Future Centre?

Edvinsson FC 2.0 builds on Nonaka's Ba model, there is yet no theory to lay down the foundation for the future version of FC. But we can speculate for a while to enrich its fulfillment.

People think and communicate through objects, language, artifacts. Essentially we are using thought and consciousness.

I would define FC 1.0 as a physics space to cultivate innovative

Thought and consciousness are dierent. Thought are often of

ideas, FC 2.0 as physical -cyber space to enhance knowledge

the past tense. It could not be of anything new but just a

creation. A good example is the innovation jam. They have one

recollection of past. It is mechanical, routine , stereotyped and

thing in common. All designs are aimed to connect people and

repeats itself. Consciousness is responsible for our cognitive

their brains. Whereas electronic computers connect chips and

power . There is a spectrum of consciousness from feeling,

circuits, Future Centres try to free human from their daily routines

knowing, reflection and awareness. Most of these functions

and constraints so that the brain can create some unoccupied

can be mimicked nowadays by artificial intelligence. Intuition is

space to connect to others brains and hopefully to come up with

more mystical than consciousness sometimes, as it is a direct

something new. This mode of operation is the principal design of

and quicker way of knowing without recourse to thinking and

past Future Centres. However, creative potentials often come

reasoning. Most work on artificial intelligence are to enhance our

from the inner space a of the brain, the aspect of which is still

human consciousness. What are the relations among artificial

under explored.

intelligence, consciousness, intuition and creativity?

FC 3.0 would be then the mind space to nourish cyber

In previous Future Centres, we rely heavily the appropriate

consciousness and intuition for creativity. Whereas FC 1.0 builds

design of environmental factors and visual displays to

on the intellectual capital theory and practice of Stewarts and

stimulate new ideas and sensations based on our various sense 22

inputs. Can we create a space that we can reflect on our thinking? Can we have a space that will activate our awareness and immediate knowing without using our thought? What will be needed ? How can we unlearn and discard our ingrained mental models?How can we develop great compassion and understanding.

Some of these issues have been tackled by many other disciplines, but often in isolation or in dierent contexts. Here we are referring to the creation of a space for enhancing creativity and innovation to solve commercial, community, social problems.

While FC 1.0 is on physical space, FC 2.0 on cyber space, 3.0 will move on to Mind Space. The challenges are immense.

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”Those'who'say,'do'not'know;'those'who'know,'do'not'say”?!

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Will% be% heroic% in% telling% others% just% how% it% should%be%done.%They%offer%us%‘the’%answer%that% we% are% looking% for,% a% ‘quickQwin’.% This% is% very% aArac7ve% to% business% leaders% who% are% under% pressure% to% deliver% and% liAle% 7me% to% invest.% Innova7on,%in%this%context,%would%seem%to%be%a% largely% intellectual% pursuit% expressed% through% thoughts,%in%GanA%charts,%processes%and%words% based% on% logic.% Usually% backed% up% by% a% compelling% argument% or% story% of% what% has% happened% in% the% past,% in% a% different% culture,% with% different% people.% Just% consider% the% number% of% variables% that% would% have% to% be% controlled% to% recreate% a% similar% outcome.% Maybe%they%do"not"know%this?%

Those"who"know…%

Understand%that%being%‘right’%is%actually%at%the% centre% (nub)% of% the% problem.% Innova7on% is% a% unique% combina7on.% It% goes% beyond% the% intellect% and% words% in% the% race% for% finding% a% quick% win.% Innova7on% requires% a% courageous% balance%of%head%and%heart%to%tune%into%a%more% resourceful% harmony,% one% that% opens% up% new% fer7le%ground%for%growth.%Essen7ally,%we%must% let% go% of% just% thinking% and% allow% ourselves% to% feel%things%through%the%heart.%This%can%seem%a% vulnerable% state.% It% requires% safety% and% openness%to%there%being%no%‘right’%answer.%This%% cannot% be% taught% or% explained;% it% needs% to% be% experienced% and% felt.% Then% we% become% aware% of% what% is% unseen% by% the% mind% alone.% The% unique%infinite%variables%cannot%be%known%un7l% felt…and%that%is%why%we%do"not"say""

Wri5en'by'Karen'Lord'' Archetypal!Poten/al!Ltd! Founding!Partner!of!9Di!!

Founding!Director!of!FCA! 2017©!!!

Innova7on%takes%the%strength%to%‘fail’.%However% the%only%real%failure%is%not%recognising%that%this% offers%us%essen7al%profound%insight.%In%the%busy% business% world% of% being% right,% the% pursuit% of% certainty% and% disapproval% of% failure% ac7vely% stops% us% from% finding% the% very% thing% we% seek.% All% of% this% slows% us% down% Q% in% commiAees% we% reduce% risk% and% intellectualise% the% fear% of% failure.% When% people% open% their% hearts% and% minds% it% becomes% amazing% how% fast% we% can% move.% A% wise% person% once% said% “Why% has% this% taken%so%long%to%happen%so%fast?”""

Wise"Place…% Innova7on% absolutely% requires% a% wise% place.% A% place% where% explora7on% is% both% exci7ng,% rewarding% and% offers% fast% and% deep% insight.% Somewhere% we% can% share% without% fear% of% failure,% where% we% work% with% more% than% just% the% intellect.% A% place% where% we% experience% greater%access%to%all%our%human%resources.%A% place% that% s7mulates% all% our% senses% at% the% same%7me,%where%we%are%immersed.%

The"Problem...% This% presents% us% with% a% real% challenge.% Innova7ve% prac7ce% is% clearly% counterQcultural% by% its% very% defini7on.% We% all% have% very% busy% diaries%packed%with%demanding%tasks%to%deliver,% with% liAle% space% or% 7me% to% be% immersed% and% experience% new% things.% Wisdom% takes% a% life7me%when%we%are%slowed%down%by%being%so% busy.%Yet,%also%counterQcultural%to%most%of%us%is% when% we% can% find% the% space% to% become% more% innova7ve% it% ul7mately% speeds% us% up.% Go% slow% to% go% fast.% We% see% things% more% clearly,% our% percep7on% expands% and% we% develop% more% skilled% agility.% We% play% and% learn% quicker.% We% feel% mo7vated% to% experiment% with% new% approaches%in%safety.%We%rapidly%become%much% more% informed% and% unforeseen% opportuni7es% open%up,%that%we%could%not%have%known%about% before.%We%become%more%objec7vely%balanced,% making% beAer% decisions% and% accelerate% our% results.%% We%believe%this%is%the%way%of%wisdom.%

karen@futurecentres.com"

Wise"Place"or"Space…?% So,% what% is% the% difference% between% a% Wise% Place%and%Wise%Space?%We%believe%the%‘Place’% is% within% us% –% crea7ng% internal% human% meaning,%through%our%senses,%that%enables%us% to% feel.% Being% open% is% something% that% will% enable% us% to% avoid% the% trap% of% the% shallow% quick%fix.%Once%experienced%it%becomes%part%of% who% we% are% and% therefore% it% becomes% sustainable.% A% Wise% Space% is% one% that% can% accommodate%the%infinite%variables%and%brings% all% this% richness% together.% 9Di% have% been% developing% an% innova7on% cultural% philosophy% enabled% by% an% immersive% 3D% environment% where% people% can% collaborate% across% conven7onal%boundaries.%Technology%is%a%great% enabler%when%combined%with%a%noble%purpose.% We% believe% we% have% found% an% exci7ng% and% unique% balance.% A% digital% placorm% (any7me,% anywhere% channel)% and% a% deeply% human% approach% where% people% interact.% They% see,% experience% and% feel% in% safety,% accessing% in% a% new% super% fast% way.% This% % expands% horizons% and%creates%opportuni7es%for%wise%ac7ons.% What"we"know?% Of% course% we% cannot% say% :).% All% we% have% to% offer% you% is% the% opportunity% to% explore% with% passion,% expand% your% horizons,% and% make% unseen% connec7ons.% Failure% is% only% available% to%those%who%are%right.%Most%importantly,%just% take%the%7me%to%slow%down%a%liAle%Q%smell%the% blossom.% You% will% be% very% surprised% what% you% will% uncover% by% allowing% the% infinite% variables% of%innova7on%prac7ce%to%flourish.%% BeAer%and%faster%results.%

Voice from the Netherlands

Future Centers for the Next Generation: New Voices for Societal Renewal Hank Kune, May 2017

Hank Kune

Future Centers for the Next Generation: New Voices for Societal Renewal

As we move rapidly towards 2020 – that iconic year for sharp

center of gravity has shifted for the moment to Japan, with its

vision and seeing clearly – it’s a good time to look more closely

diverse centers and an active Future Center Alliance Japan.

at how future centers have been evolving, where they are

Interest is increasing in countries like France and Korea for future

moving, and the societal needs they may be able to fulfill in the

center concepts attuned to their cultures.

near future.

What’s in a name? Many of the most interesting and effective The idea of Future Centers as dedicated spaces for

future centers have never used (or even recognized) the ‘future

organizational and societal renewal is already more than 20 years

center’ label, and this is still the case: what matters is what the

old. While we have seen diverse shifts in focus and perspective

centers achieve, and how they accomplish it. There are social

since the original centers of the mid-1990’s, the original concept

innovation labs, social labs, change labs, innovation centers,

is still strong: although some things have changed, many things

creativity centers, open innovation labs, impact hubs, and

are similar, and a lot have remained the same. Now, at the start

government innovation labs doing excellent work all over the

of a 3rd Future Center decade, let’s mark some the recent trends

world, bringing business, universities, cities, NGOs and individual

and look forward to diverse forms of renewal.

citizens together to work in innovative, future-oriented ways to renew organizations, sectors, cities and society.

Centers of gravity. Europe was the original benchmark for modern future centers, and for many years Northern Europe, the

Dedicated spaces and sharp focus. Most Future Centers in the

UK and the Netherlands were the centers of gravity. Although

past two decades have been dedicated spaces within

both new and well-established centers still operate there, the

organizations that focus on the issues of the organization, its 28

sector and its stakeholders. Many focus on improving

When solutions must cross borders, solution-seeking must cross

organizational performance and sectoral and sectoral quality

borders too. Society has many challenges, and do not stop at the

through co-creating breakthroughs in thinking and acting, and the

borders of organizations, regions, countries or the bureaucracies

vast majority emphasize the diversity of participants in their

set up to deal with them. There is much to be gained by

sessions and activities. However, despite their commitment to

organizing open, dedicated challenge platforms and breakthrough

open innovation approaches, most centers remain bulwarks

labs to address issues by actively breaking silos and crossing

where participants are invited and walk-ins are discouraged.

borders of all kinds. We see practical possibilities for future centers and innovation labs collaborating across borders to simultaneously address the same societal challenge from different

New venues for societal renewal are needed. We need spaces

cultures and diverse perspectives, creating a kind of ‘global lab

and places which resonate with changing society and current

for societal innovation’. There are issues to address, people see

ideas about to organize cities, services and citizen engagement,

the need, the methodologies are ready, and the centers are there.

learning and entrepreneurial education, and how to work with

Only the will to engage in the initial steps and prototype the first

change in the context of NGOs, business and industry. Hybrid

global laboratory must be mobilized.

forms are emerging, integrating the good practice of future centers, maker spaces, fablabs and living labs to deal with social and societal issues where people live, work and spend their time:

None of these ideas are new. For two decades future centers

we see future center-like activities taking place in neighborhoods,

have been created to address issues like ineffective future-

community centers and libraries. The next stage may well be

orientation and short term focus in society, stressful working and

pop-up centers at places where problems actually occur. There is

thinking environments in organizations, the difficulty to introduce

a need for places where people can meet each other: where

new ways of working and new ideas in traditional institutions, and

people with problems can meet people with ideas, and people

the problem that many of our institutions are outdated, obsolete

with the passion to co-create quality in life can encounter others

or broken. And yet: the issues remain; widespread, seemingly

with the energy – and powerful hands – to get things done. That’s

impossible to tackle broadly and effectively. It seems clear that

where useful solutions may emerge.

new approaches are needed.

29

Break the crisis mentality. Today we being conditioned to see crises everywhere: the media tell us that even simple set-backs are symptoms of one crisis or another. Why not shift the perspective, and think in opportunities? The future center community has spoken for more than a decade about the ‘city as a future center’ and the ‘region as a living lab’. Isn’t it time to realize this? The initial ingredients are here: hybrid centers, neighborhood innovation labs, policy prototyping, technologies for leveraging distributed intelligence, the drive to experiment and to renew society. Even more important: we have some good questions. How do we, as society, support our explorers? How do we learn to discover? Why not start today? Where do we want to be at Midcentury?

30

Voice from the Netherlands

Future Center 3.0, time to add a new room to the building Simoon Fransen, May 2017

Simoon Fransen

Future Center 3.0, time to add a new room to the building

Here are my thoughts about the evolution of Future Centers, the

our fix-ability’. In the process of our civilization we now deal with

concept that i happily embraced ever since 2006. While

the externalities of greed, fear and ignorance. As i feel us being

exploring ways to innovate mainly governmental institutions i

between paradigms, we have two options. In black and white i

found it a profound way to offer the ‘right place and support’ to

see scenario A, the destruction we are capable to realize

solve organizational and societal problems, to breed creativity-

together, and, with Trump as a president for his first week, that

skills, awareness on our collective creative capacity and finally to

could become a reality very fast. The other scenario, the one that

grow networks that together can bring the change we want to

i prefer and that i am willing to dedicate my working-life to is he

see.

one where we are collectively able to flip the destructive and separating spirit in to a more connected and sane world.

It has been a wonderful 10 year-journey in which i witnessed surprising results, skills and awareness grow. It was a joyful era

‘One day… there would come a time, when the earth being

and i guess i saw the benefits of what we humans need as ‘the

ravaged and polluted, the forests being destroyed, the birds

natural way’ to unleash our creativity. Relaxing conditions,

would fall from the air, the waters would be blackened, the fish

serious, playful and smart designed processes brought

being poisoned in the streams, and the trees would no longer be,

innovation as we hoped. I also found the concept’s (and mine)

mankind as we would know it would all but cease to exist.

limits. And without throwing the enabling magic of the concept aside, i want to bring in my current concerns, facing our challenge as humanity, civilization or even (if we include all life)

This is how the ‘Rainbow prophecy’ begins and it refers to the

as guests of planet earth. Without becoming pessimistic or

keepers of the legends, rituals, and other myths that will be

desperate, even as a ‘pathologic optimist’ i found the limits of

needed when the time comes to restore the health on Earth. It is 32

believed that these legendary beings will return on a day of

Very very old lineages and approaches blended with very new

awakening, when all people will unite and create a new world of

insights and models. Inspired by an article by Otto Scharmer

justice, peace and freedom, and they will be named the ‘Warriors

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/scharmer-243 ) i realized

of the Rainbow’.’

we need to be very aware of what we create with every breathe we take. If we agree on the idea that what the world needs is a positive movement, our intention changes and with that, different

If unity, harmony and love is the way forward, how can we, with

energy follows with different outcomes.

our FC-concept contribute to that? What does it take to be a true warrior? Exploring further on this theme i would love to find a way to support warriorship; what does it take to create warriors that add this kind of gentle curiosity, courage and compassion to the world? (So far from home, Margaret Wheatley )

Connectedness, not only by FB, twitter but a heartfelt awareness based on the reality that WE ARE ONE. In the recent reality there is also growing strength and beauty to witness. For example looking at the womansmarch or, as i write this, the people that are operating as one voice on the JFK-airport protecting their culture in which all religions are tolerated.

The invitation to write about this has been incubating in my mind

Otto Scharmer describes four types of response to disruptive

for weeks and the recent events in the world gave me the words

change. ‘What is called for today is a massive response that

to this deep wish how we, as the FC 3.0-community, could

reaches into the upper right quadrant; focusing on evolving and

operate. By bringing together different traditions and models.

transforming the collective. What’s missing most is an enabling 33

infrastructure that supports initiatives to move into the top right

to protect life and water. Our own future. What can we learn from

quadrant of co-creating change’.

that? We see a movement grow, more and more tribes join the camp. More and more religions gathering in this spirit. Like we saw happening in the week after Trumps inauguration, whether in

My personal evolution since i started to work with the FC

the women-march the day after or in the way the world responds

concept, was that i moved from the ‘lets fix it’-spirit towards

to all the the actions and decisions Trump made this very first

hopefully a more sustainable approach, based on what is really

week. Back to the prophecy, in which the enemy is symbolized as

going on in the social field, below what is visable.

the black snake which could very well be the metaphor for the

My ‘first Future Center’ started as a place and it moved towards

Dakota pipeline, we see at the same time warriors rise all over the

a space. The safe container in which people, teams and

world.

organizations find the quality of attention to finally see what is stopping and driving them, to learn from the future instead of the old patterns that apparently no loner work.

Bridging this to our FC-evolution; a renewed focus for FC 3.0

This space-place-FC is what i position in the right quadrant, a

could be based on this: creating new language and tools that

form to move to co-creating change. I am ready to rise in joint

unite and reconnect. Summarizing what to do next as FC 3.0, i

forces FOR a new world, for the creative power of energy that

see us working on 4 levels, all focusing on our global collective

arises from moving towards something, awareness based

change making capacity:

collective action.

1 Facilitating processes and events, addressing current I have bin deeply inspired by the approach of the native people

challenges. ‘Business as usual’ for us FC-people but the quality

protecting their sacred land and water against the Dakota

of our intervention also depends on the addressed intention.

pipeline. Consequently avoiding violence, also in language; no

So if we share this idea, imagine its enabling power.

protestors but protectors. Love instead of violence, praying and singing instead of fighting. Day after day.It is almost (…) impossible to be against people whose only wish and agenda is

2 Offer training and workshops that support our collective capacity of changemaking, creating new language and tools that unite and reconnect. These can be separated from internal 34

organization questions or even better, applied on issues. As we address required future-skills and knowledge, let us offer to train and coach.

3 Leading complete programs that bring change, awareness based collective actions.

4 Creating our own feedback-loops. As healthy ecosystems do; learn by reflection, bringing back information and experiences, realizing we ARE IN FORMATION and our evolution depends on the way we deal with this new information. Imagine us as a spiderweb around the world, working with so many groups, networks and question, a golden treasure to harvest!

My contribution to the next level 3.0 is maybe more a quest that i would like to explore further on together. How can we as FC community unleash our full human potential? And how can we, in our great diversity work as humble bumblebees, spreading wisdom and courage? Wouldn’t that be a wonderful invitation to the FC practicioners/community (which word to use?) With the heart-felt believe that the answer comes from a new room in our center. The room that opens the door to our heart intelligence, to open the windows of possibilities. Where besides creativity also relaxation, silence and sane leadership guide us back to our collective wisdom and inspire us to the effective actions we need.

All in service of a happy, healed future.

35

Voice from Sweden

Future Center 3.0 as sustainablity platform Bjรถrn Molin, May 2017

BjĂśrn Molin

Future Center 3.0 as sustainablity platform A recent visit to Klimahaus, nearby Hamburg, Germany, see www.klimahaus-bremerhaven.de initiated a lot of thoughts related to Future Center 3.0 issues.

Klimahaus has evolved into a major tourist attraction, year round in Bremen. It is an interactive way of presenting 9 climate zones, along a Longitude. This is an ecological presentation of the life and living conditions on planet Earth. Together with the presentations there is also the dialogue on the climate development and the possibilities of mankind to impact.

Vera Rubin, the American astronom report that �in a spiral galaxy there is 10 times more dark i.e. invisible materia than visible materia! This might be the same ratio between our knowing and our ignorance or not knowing? We have left grammer school level but still we are in an early schooling situation? This might also be valid for the understanding of the value of our knowledge? Is value what we see- the traditional economical Figure 1: Klima Haus, Bremen

value, that can be assessed in metrics? Or is value also the invisibles and hard to grasp? How do we refine a broader holistic value perspective for sustainability cultivation?

37

and civic society is shaped by the interactivity between people. ”Product business” is becoming ”people business”.

Digitalization and Internetting is expanding the possibilities to gather new knowing and insights as well as possibilities for interactive communications with a broad group of stakeholders.

This is resulting in increased interest for participation and commitment as well as better quality of decisions for the value creating processes. Our work space Value and its context is high on the agenda. This experimental value among stakeholders has to be integrated into the management navigation.

And as once said by Peter Drucker ”culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Importance of Input from the co-workers is increasing.

The co-workers evolve from being stone carpenters to become participative builders of the cathedral. The search for Figure 2: Image of the New Bottom Line Balance Sheet

sustainability value emerge out of the extended TBL combined with cultural analyses as supplement to the old traditional accounting map.

What about a TBL - Triple Bottom line?

The Future might not be found in the traditional Bottom Line perspective but in the extended holistic of a Triple Bottom Line?

TBL – with Financial Value aspects as well as Cultural Value and Experiental Value……!

Now around 70 % of GDP is coming from the Service sector.

More and more of the business sector, as well as public sector 38

incapabilities of leaders to engage and develop the cultural commitments.

How do we then reduce the failure rate?`Probably when the quality of the co-creative commitment is increasing ?

3 step approach - How to refine the present management into a future management approach?

We all have different perspectives on reality. It is a challenge, especially in bottom up processes. An upgraded and broadened approach involves these steps: Figure 3 – Work space culture

-

Triple Bottom Line - TBL. It implies supplementing the

economical metrics with eco cultural metrics and experiental What about IRL (in real life)?

According to Gallup, in an international study, on engagement of the employees they found the following.

metrics (from users, customers, societal and citizens aspects)

-

Management by pictures & culture – MPC. It is a

support for the quality dimensions of the work space and shared perspectives. As also said by Leonardo da Vinci – Saper Vedere =

20-25 % are considered to be participative, 60% relatively non

Learning to see. This was prototyped in the so called K-room in

participative and 15-20% contra forces. How would the

Sweden as well as in Skandia Future Center

economical result be impacted if the participatory collaboration increased to 40%?

IBM did another kind of survey on the success of change

-

Digitalizing – new structures emerge for the continuous

learning and navigating of Life long Learning. Just think of the impact on the service jobs by Robotized nurses?

projects. It should that 67 % failed, due to complexity and the 39

furniture design and more in the mind space for quality of cocreation of sustainable interactivity value. To go from Logos to the 4 the dimension, as seen below, a Longitude dimension for the Experiential Value space. FC 3.0 is about this Mind space ………

-

Figure 5: Japan's Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe sits with

an assistive robot called "My Spoon" during a demonstration of health care robots in Tokyo on November 10, 2008. "My Spoon", developed by Japan's Secom is designed to help disabled people eat meals with joystick for controls using one's jaw, hand and feet. (AFP PHOTO/JIJI PRE

What about the Mindspace for FC 3.0?

Figure 4: the Cultural Cube as Mindspace for FC 3.0

The foundation and platform for the Future enterprising is where there is attractive work spaces. A critical part of this is less in the 40

Outlook summary The satisfaction, participation and cocreation of the workfoce is critical issue for the Leadership. It can be based on the learning process of Bjorn Molin: understanding the tentative renewal, touched and willing to commit in the activities, knowledgeable of the doing, prototype willingness, assessing achievements and Learn for further value process developments. It all started in the space of a K-Room for Culture and Knowledge appreciation across generations. Now it is to be integrated into the Digital space for a holistic value cultivation beyond the old paradigms. 
 A Future Center 3.0 will be a prototyping space for these intangibles ? �A happy workforce as well as happy citizens make for a healthy bottom line�

41

Stimulating the Dialogue on FC3.0!

1. After reading, what Thoughts have

been triggered?

2. What core characteristics of the organizational design would you like to put in forefront?

3. How would you like to proceed to shape a Future Center 3.0?

Happy Future leifedvinsson@gmail.com +46705925078 Founder of the World´s First Future Center