Given the globally disruptive challenges presented by COVID-19, zoos, aquariums, and the conservation and research organizations they support are in serious financial jeopardy. So to help sort out a robust pathway forward, we sought the assistance of renowned futurist, Dr. Bob Johansen from the Institute for the Future. In his latest book, he describes the importance of a Full-Spectrum Thinking mindset to avoid the brain's tendency towards rigid categorical thinking. With the next decade expected to be even more chaotic than today such rigidity is not only outdated, it often leads to a false certainty and all too simplistic binary choices. He argues this old way of thinking is not only foolish, it can be dangerous.

To successfully navigate what he calls the "scramble" and to reach the next decade, what's needed is a future-back approach- one that allows leaders to use foresight to set the direction for where an organization wants to be among a spectrum of possible futures. Then by harnessing current insights and remaining flexible about how to get to that future, leaders and organizations can make sense of new opportunities. Resisting labels and using new technologies will assist leaders to see patterns in big-data and achieve greater clarity over false certainty.

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