HP Innovation Issue 18: Summer 2021 | Page 19

How to Think Like a Futurist

For the HP Labs teams and specifically Andrew Bolwell , Global Head , HP Tech Ventures & Incubation , this type of mindset is a job requirement . As change continues to accelerate around us , how quickly we respond to trends , new technologies , and industry shifts will determine longterm business viability and where investment for growth is needed . In this issue of Innovation , Bolwell shares the power behind his visionary work and how you , too , can think like a futurist .

illustration by matthieu bourel
THE WORLD AROUND US is changing and advancing at breakneck speed . From cars that can see around corners to robots on Mars , hyperloop travel , and artificial intelligence ( AI ) that can write a poem like Coleridge or fiction like Kafka , keeping up can be overwhelming . For business leaders , innovators , and organizations , the central question becomes : How do we lead this change , rather than being led by it ?
I ’ d posit that we all need to learn to think like futurists . Thinking like a futurist shouldn ’ t be reserved for a select group of people , but instead is a basic skill set that anyone can learn .
Tapping into your inner futurist requires that you stay aware of what ’ s happening in the world around you ,
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