Rik Vera Masterclass Build Your Future - Takeaways

Navigating the Future: A Journey into Innovation, People, and Tomorrow's World

For me, engaging in a keynote, book, or masterclass by Rik Vera is pure self-indulgence, a deep dive into the realms of business and technology and their intricate dance. It's an exercise in stretching the mind, igniting creativity, and, in the case of a 2 day Masterclass, translating these insights into concrete ideas and actions. What’s not to love? 😊

By the way, did you know that it takes 1395 seconds for your brain to re-focus after checking your smartphone? (fun-fact I also learned there)

So, why not immerse yourself, leaving your socials aside for the next 10 minutes and delve into my reflections and personal takeaways of 2 incredible interesting days: “Building your Future”?

The Central Question: How to Stay Relevant in 2035?

The overarching question posed during the Nexxworks Masterclass echoes through the corridors of every business: "How to stay relevant for people and society in 2035?" This question is paramount, given the challenges and crises we face today, spanning talent, regulations, energy, and climate. Coupled with the swift rise of technology and the blurring of industry lines, companies are confronted with the task of remaining relevant and keep on delivering value.

An extra Perspective: From Customer to Employee Relevance

On top of that, an extra perspective has emerged: the acknowledgment of the stakeholder who can no longer be ignored—the employee. Just as businesses act in the interest of their customers, they must increasingly act in the interest of their employees. The era of old silos, rigid hierarchies, and delineated business lines is faltering, giving rise to a new world: one that is all about people.

The Challenge of Embracing the Unknown

Embracing the unknown is the challenge of our time, as the old world deflates like a balloon, making way for the uncertain "zone of monsters and disasters." (leave it up to Rik to add a little dramatics 😉) Human nature, by definition reluctant to let go of the familiar, hence faces a choice: to resist, plunge fearlessly, or observe from the sidelines. All keeping in mind:

“If the rate of change on the outside is higher than the rate of change on the inside, then the end is near” Jack Welsh

Factors to Overcome Resistance: CRC, Vision, First Steps

To navigate this times of change successfully as a leader or a company, three critical factors come into play:

1. Your Compelling Reason to Change (CRC)
2. A clear Vision (V)
3. and those crucial First Steps (FS).

Failure to innovate often stems from a lack of CRC, resistance to change or simply lack of concrete first actions that people can grasp.

Ask yourself: “Why would we no longer be relevant in 2035?”

Identify 3 external reasons + 3 internal reasons. Call it a pre-mortem instead of a post-mortem. I’m quite sure, which one you prefer.

The Unfolding Future: my personal Key Takeaways

Ofcourse, giving you the total experience and boost of inspiration of a fullblown 2-day Masterclass, is sheer impossible. So to embark 2024, let me tickle your curiosity and spark your imagination with my personal 24 key takeaways:

1. We already inhabit the metaverse. There is no more online vs offline world.
2. Darwin was wrong. The smart ones don’t adapt to change, they write it!
3. Don't miss the tipping point. It only takes 10% of a population.
4. We live in an attention economy.
5. Tech vs. traditional companies is a false dichotomy; combining both is the key.
6. The ultimate winner is the one who facilitates businesses and customers. Platforms are the future.
7. Disruptive is overrated.
8. Falling in love with your solution is the fastest route to obsolescence. Think problems instead.
9. FEAST! Fast, Easy, Accessible, Simple and tempting vs Slow, Complex, Complicated, Difficult and Boring.
10. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little bit into the impossible. (Oh so watch sci-fi! 😉)
11. Platforms connecting us also control us. (You already watched The Social Dilemma, right?)
12. Embrace chaos, for you can't predict the future.
13. Dear CEO, keep the dreamer close, alongside the builder.
14. Embrace anti-fragility.
15. Men will no longer commute, they will communicate.
16. Develop for the future with the next generation in mind.
17. The future revolves around people, communication, and enabling collaboration.
18. It takes a network to fight a network.
19. Adopt a surfer’s mindset.
20. Always stay on the lookout for the green waves.
21. Too many companies are too occupied (95%) with fighting daily shit to be able to innovate.
22. Always start with the monkey.
23. Start from the impossible and find that 1 thing to make it more possible.
24. People don't know what they want until you show them. Dive into your customers frustrations!

Self-awareness and Building for Tomorrow

Resilience starts with self-awareness, what just happens to be a cornerstone of my own company, First Floor. Whether as an individual, team, or organization, understanding your value is crucial for growth and relevance.

You want to sharpen your strategy? Ask yourself 2 simple questions:

1. What's your organisations superpower? And define 3 actions to further develop it.
2. What's your organisations Kryptonite? And define 3 actions to avoid or manage it.

Skills for the Future

In the evolving landscape, the role of AI is undeniable, but human skills remain indispensable. Moreover: they will become more and more the differentiator to stand out in the crowd. What are those skills of the future (according to Pieter Abbeel - google him!):

1. Collaboration
2. Critical thinking
3. Compassion
4. Curiosity
5. Creativity

It’s not so much about finding the right answers, it’s about finding the right questions. And we need human creativity, empathy and experience to filter those out.

Conclusion: Embracing the Unknown with a Curious Mind

In conclusion, as an entrepreneur rather than a manager, I've realized the giant value of building, strategizing, and growing over daily operations. All the while making sure ofcourse your company is being properly managed as well. Both steering the ship towards a future that most of all demands curiosity and adaptability.

As for me, it only reconfirmed the mission of First Floor: Building Resilient Future Leaders with a surfer-attitude and great communication and collaboration skills. We’ll need them!

Alice in Wonderland and Coping with the New World

In this whole new world, the wisdom from Alice in Wonderland rings true: "The moment she stopped trying to understand everything and just started to be more and more curious is the moment she started to feel at home."

Have fun! And thank you Rik Vera and Nexxworks for this wonderfull Masterclass!

Some extra read-listen-watch inspiration tips:

• Book: The geography of thought, Richard E. Nisbett
• Documentary: The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
• Book: Anti-fragile, things that gain from disorder, Nassim Nicholas Taleb
• Series: Chernobyl (HBO)
• Podcast: Robot Brains, Pieter Abbeel
• Podcast FF Rustig: Rik Vera (in dutch)
• Book: The guide tot he ecosystem economy, Rik Vera
• Book: Managers the day after tomorrow, Rik Vera