Please remain seated. We are experiencing a calendar attack.

Apr 27, 2024

- Good morning, my dear nephew. What can I invest in today?

- There is no need for sarcasm. I’m in trouble. These hacked delivery drones are slowing down my bus. I will be very late to the office, and this is a big day.

- Are you in the market for a perfect excuse?

He feels sweat running down his back.

Please remain seated. We are experiencing a calendar attack.

- The IMF releases its Global Financial Stability report today.

- It never ceases to amaze me how stability reports lead to unpredictable days in the energy markets. One short report makes governments run in circles, readjusting policy on national grids in competition to fuel the insatiable demand for data centres with cost-efficient power while trying to keep consumer prices in check.

- My remote clearance is just not high enough to course-correct the sequence of transactions I set up, and it's driving me mad.

- What’s your plan?

- I’m betting that new tax incentives for sea kite farms using tidal currents for power generation will depreciate the whole value chain behind energy storage.

- Risky. Hedging and mixed asset allocation?

- I’m not stupid.

- Your aunt used to say that geopolitics is not a casino. If you had accepted that promotion, you wouldn’t have this problem. Your team would sort it out for you.

- Thank you, but I’m not good at work delegation.

- You can only grow by learning to let go. The best way to practice delegation is to ask someone to decide for you in a low-stakes situation and compliment them on their choice.

Please remain seated. We are experiencing a calendar attack.

A distant siren approaches, and suddenly, a hissing sound fills the bus, crescendoing with a deep bass boom.

- What was that?

- Oh, Transit Police has just deployed the AVRK, the kit that forces autonomous stuff to pull over for a reset.

- Lucky you. We should have a reset kit for global markets. Imagine this perfect balance, where machines run the economy, but people control the power switch. With your drama sorted out, will you join me for a happy hour later?

- I'm in town anyway, so why not? See you at six.

Hello Practical Futurists,

Welcome back from the future, where energy is the best store of value.

Let's jump into our weekly practice, where we use futures thinking and product sci-fi to enhance your strategic imagination and prepare your leadership for the future.

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Start here to make the most of your time if this is your first ~~rodeo~~ edition.

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Weekly Self-Reflection Prompts

Let's start by making products and services mentioned in the story a bit more relatable by grounding them in your personal life.

You can start with this quote for extra inspiration.

“We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.”

Alan Turing

Personal life reflection prompts

If you commute daily or occasionally, what are your 3 favourite things to do at that time?
What is the most useful advice you have ever received from a family member and is there anything you can do to maximise your chances of getting more advice of this quality?
Do new skills or knowledge decrease (you have more ways to deal with the problem) or increase (you are aware of more things that can go wrong) the number of stressful situations for you?
What does the main source of stress (yourself, others, external factors, etc.) you experience in high-stakes situations tell you about your life priorities?
After a demanding work period, do you recharge your batteries better alone or while catching up with friends or family?
What was the last thing you did to increase your personal information security?

Great!

Let’s move on to the context of the industry, organisation, team, service, or product you are working with.

Professional life reflection prompts

What was the last invention in your industry that got you excited?
In what three ways has remote work impacted your leadership style, and which one took you the longest to figure out?
What is your advice for new team members on better stress management in high-pressure situations?
Would standardising procedures for solving technological disruptions that impact business operations in your organisation improve your team's response or limit its flexibility?
What two strategies do you use to enforce standards in your team? How do you maintain the balance between human oversight and automated procedures?
In what two ways could informal settings improve the quality or quantity of ideas your team comes up with?
How would your organisation's product or service change if you could switch to cheaper energy?
Name two leaders whose delegation skills you admire or whose advice you have implemented.