“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, Founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), arguing against the PC in 1977.
“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, president of the British Royal Society, 1895.
“There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered.” - Albert Einstein, 1932.
“The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage.” -– Charlie Chaplin, 1916.
“The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty - a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903.
“Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” — Dr Dionysys Larder (1793-1859), professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, University College London.
“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.
It seems that whenever we try to predict the future based on our paradigms of the past we are usually, hopelessly short sighted! Joel Barker in his book “Paradigms: Business of Discovering the Future” suggests that there are three qualities organisations need to survive in the rapidly changing world of the twenty-first century:
Firstly they need excellence – that is creating goods or service of genuine quality for the people they serve. This will be the non-negotiable ‘ticket’ to the game, but it will not be enough. Ask yourself: “Does what we produce provide quality, significance, and delight for those we serve?”
Secondly, they need innovation – the capacity to keep on improving and advancing the potential of original idea. Think how each generation of smart phones builds extra features or lower price. Ask yourself: “Do we keep evaluating, fine-tuning, hearing feedback, and improving what we do?”
Thirdly, and most importantly, the successful organization demonstrates anticipation. That is the creativity and imagination to embrace the future! The new possibilities, needs and context – before anyone else does! Ask yourself: “Are we prepared to walk out of our comfort-zone; let go cherished trophies; experiment with the new; risk failure; and celebrate the prophet or the radical?” in other words, an openness to explore new paradigms.
