Listening to the Future

Daniel W. Rasmus (Sammamish, WA) is Director of Information Work Vision for the Microsoft?Office Product Marketing Group. Prior to joining Microsoft, Dan was an analyst with Forrester Research (formerly Giga) and wrote extensively about collaboration and knowledge management. Rob Salkowitz (Seattle, WA) is a writer and consultant specializing in the social implications of new technology. He has worked with leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, to help formulate market strategy and articulate business goals.

• Microsoft Executive Leadership Series: Series Foreword ixPreface xiAcknowledgments xiiiChapter 1 Listening to the Future 1Embracing Uncertainty 3The Shape of Things to Come 15Technology and the Changing World 17People Make the Future 22Note 23Chapter 2 Managing a Dynamic Business 25Driving Forces 26Strategic Technology Capabilities 32Tenets for Success 39Dynamic Business: Forces to Watch, Uncertainties to Consider 41Notes 43Chapter 3 Prospering in a Blended World 45Driving Forces 46Strategic Workplace Technologies 54Blending Beyond the Workplace 63Tenets for Success 65Blend Trends 68Notes 70Chapter 4 Insights from Complexity 73Driving Forces 75Strategic Technologies to Drive Insights 86Tenets for Success 92Sources of Insight 94Notes 95Chapter 5 Building Strategic Advantage Through IT 97The Challenge of Measuring Return on Knowledge 98Why IT Matters 99Why Applications Matter 102Why Platforms Matter 104Why Infrastructure Matters 108Creating a Dialog Between Business and IT 110Tenets for Success 111Why IT Still Matters 114EightWays to Achieve More Strategic IT 115Key Infrastructure Investments for Competitive Advantage 116Notes 117Chapter 6 From the New World of Business to the New World of Work 119One World of Business 120Always On, Always Connected 127Transparent Organizations 133Workforce Evolution 141Notes 150Chapter 7 Managing Knowledge and Talent in the New World of Business 155Managing Knowledge in One World of Business 156Knowledge Anywhere, Anytime 157Knowledge in the Transparent Organization 157Managing Knowledge for a Changing Workforce 158From “Knowledge Management” to Managing Talent and Knowledge 160Complexity and Specialization 162Simplifying the Knowledge Work Environment 164Toward a Dynamic Knowledge Environment 165Navigating the Dynamic Knowledge Environment 168Embracing Organizational Learning 17510 Starting Points for Dynamic Knowledge Enterprises 176Notes 177Chapter 8 The Future of Industries 179Manufacturing 180Retail 182Government/Public Sector 184Retail Banking and Insurance 185Healthcare 187Education 188Professional Services 190Chapter 9 Hearing the Future 193Strategy and Uncertainties 195Exposing the Dynamic Uncertainty Loop 200Finding the Signal in the Noise 211Looking Forward 215Notes 216Afterword 217Index 221