In this series « deftech – behind the scenes », we propose to tell the story of the programme deftech as faithfully as possible; its choices, its challenges and above all the lessons learned.
Among all the activities a technology foresight program can do to prepare the different stakeholders about the future, what we believe should be the most important result, is to inspire them. Inspiration however comes from within, and is for everybody different, from what originates it, to the kind of sentiment and desire to action it triggers.
On top of all the tangible deliverables the program creates, inspiration is the most intangible outcome. It is what aims to « see far », « see wide », « analyse in depth », « take risks ».
In practice, this translates into new questions that find their way onto the agenda of the organization; new ways of reading events, transformations in progress, etc.; a form of discomfort as we grasp new uncertainties that have been ignored until now … But also new challenges, hitherto unthought of, that will call for new answers and will certainly stimulate creativity.
There is no necessity for it, but leading by example, applying creativity and innovation to all the products delivered by the program was the way we thought Deftech could offer such inspiration. It is really difficult to measure if this ambition has been achieved, but this is definitely a value that keeps all the people involved in the program motivated.
Challenges and lessons learned
- Inspiring people is giving them the necessary tools to challenge the present and/or the status-quo. New ideas need time to percolate in the minds, so don’t be surprised if you face resistance and be ready to face some storms.
- Expectations about your activities will rise, as stakeholders will be looking for something new. Change the formats of what you do. Don’t repeat (or at least try to!).
- Give names to your different products. This will not only help people to refer precisely to something, it will also help talking about it. If possible, again, associate a dedicated visual to the name, maybe integrating your main logo to internally build on synergies.
- When trying to break new grounds, it is important to have supporters among your stakeholders. Know your environment and engage with the ones you trust! Present and discuss your ideas early enough with those that you have identified as “supportive” of your activities. Being transparent helps, as you might have to slightly adapt a few things without importance for you, but that could change a lot how the result might be perceived at the end.
It is with a view to providing the necessary tools and exchanging different experiences that the atelierdesfuturs.org website was born. As an integral part of the whole system, but independent and co-animated in its form, the site strives to provide tools for conducting thinking and activities related to foresight. In the writing of the content, it also forces the analysis of the activities carried out as well as a certain introspection.
Together, these reflections offer a minimum of hindsight and provide the groundwork for inspiration for new actions.
