Everything everywhere all at once

Megatrends | Part 7 | Cacophony

Neither fads nor fashions seem to run their course before the next thing emerges. Every point of evolution has caught up with the present and co-exists in a cacophony of options.

Mashed together by globalization and Permeability, distinct, unrelated, and sometimes mutually exclusive worlds now co-exist in space and time.  No matter how obsolete fax technology may seem to you, it remains the preferred communication method for some.  The Amish community continues to thrive amidst some of the most affluent and technologically advanced ones.  Increased life expectancy has blended as many as five generations across the workforce.  And how could we even attempt to count the coexisting cultures and subcultures?  A person practicing polyamory may work next to somebody in an arranged marriage, and an employee that considers it rude to speak unless spoken to may supervise one raised to share her opinions freely.

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On the Megatrends series

I have earned an international reputation for leveraging global trends to create positive transformation.  Having (1) introduced this concept and (2) set the stage through earlier posts, I now guide you on a 360-degree tour of today’s change landscape! 

See if you might read/listen actively.  Consider these questions:

1. How does this trend manifest in your world?  Society at large?  Your family, community, or team(s)?  Your investors or donors?  The people your purpose calls you to serve?  

2. Importantly, how does it play out in you? In your own motivations or struggles?

3. What shifts in what is possible, acceptable, or both underpin this trend?

4. Who — brands, politicians, non-profits — ride this trend? Do they succeed or fail? Why?

5. What does this trend make possible that was impossible before?

Having covered Gluttony, Abstraction, Permeability, and Collective power, our tour continues with Cacophony.

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Image credit: Merlin Lightpainting for Pixabay. Licensed under CC.

What might Cacophony mean for a changemaker looking for an opportunity to make a lasting difference?