Detecting Early Signals

Organizations must be able to distinguish the early signals that matter from the general noise they are constantly being bombarded with. One of the many “antennas” that Strategic Planning for the Exponential Era (SPX) advocates is the use of predictive analytics technologies to mine datasets that, when explored properly, can provide a wealth of information that can be used as early signals. Companies that insist on reinforcing existing practices and beliefs and that fail to broaden the scope of their research and innovation efforts are bound to face the same fate as Research in Motion. SPX was designed to address these challenges by helping companies deal with uncertainty and migrate away from outdated processes. In order to remove the barriers to information flow, especially hierarchical barriers, executives can borrow from practices seen in companies that have successfully created methodical and organizationally safe ways to learn from the edges.