Welcome to Imagine What's Next, the podcast that highlights interviews with leading thinkers in the space of foresight, vision, long thinking, and getting big ideas right. This podcast has been created in tandem with Daniel Forresters's new edX course VISION01 — "Let the Vision Journey Begin." Both explore the "why movement" linked to crafting purpose and mission statements that are now being supplanted by the emerging "where movement." This movement goes beyond brainstorming towards declaring the "big ideas" that will inspire stakeholders. "Where are we going?" as an organization is the primal question posed by employees that CEOs and product managers must smartly address.

In this episode, Daniel is joined by Cris Gardner, head of Strategic Development and VP of Futurecasting at AARP. Cris talks about her futurecasting role at AARP, how her team determines which trends and technologies are worth presenting to the C-suite, and the critical role that storytelling plays in proposing new ideas. Cris offers her insights into the role that futurecasting should play in every major company and exactly how much time forward-thinking C-suites should spend investing in the long-term big ideas that generate vision.

Key Takeaways:

[:44] Daniel introduces his guest for this episode — Cris Gardner.

[2:25] According to ChatGPT, why does AARP matter? Cris weighs in on the innovation component of this massive organization.

[5:36] The innovation and strategy component of Cris' futurecasting role at AARP.

[8:48] Addressing multigenerational strategic thinking starts with insights into the audience AARP serves.

[14:24] How does Cris down-select ideas to determine which ideas are worth presenting to management?

[20:10] The process of approaching the C-suite and framing conversations with a longer-term view.

[25:54] Cris reveals the scenarios and artifacts she brings into the room when proposing a new trend or technology.

[30:35] Why does having empathy matter as Cris is bringing the future into a conversation?

[32:13] Co-creation helps leaders imagine new possibilities — what does AARP do with new knowledge?

[38:04] Does the futurecasting division of AARP create a competitive advantage?

[42:09] Are strategic intelligence and foresight functions a necessary component of every major company's future?

[44:33] Dosage matters when it comes to talking about the future — how many units of energy does Cris recommend a C-suite dedicate to future thinking?

Brought to You By:

Daniel Forrester

Podfly Productions

Continue the Journey:

Cris Gardner on LinkedIn

AARP

Generating Vision: Long-Term Big Ideas That Motivate Employees and Stakeholders