Example Of New Mega Trends Essay

Introduction

The 20th and 21st Century have witnessed the escalation of global development by quite an unpredicted magnitude. New innovations and creations are emerging on a daily basis. In addition, the world is constantly seeing the emergence of new trends whose impact on global development is enormous. This is expected to continue even in the future, and the world is likely to experience even greater trends that will truly cause a revolution. These trends will have a great impact on various existing sectors including business, the environment, and politics among others. In preparation for the future, some researchers and authors have in fact been attempting to predict some of the trends that can be expected in the future, and that will greatly impact various global sectors. Sarwant Singh is one of these authors. Sigh has authored a publication titled ‘New Mega Trends: Implications for our Future Lives”: whereby he predicts ten specific trends that will have the greatest impact on the business sector as well as the people’s lives in the future. In this publication, Sigh also gives practical advice on how to benefit and profit from these trends. Sigh’s predictions and assertions in this hugely successful book are based on extensive research conducted by a major market research company and that have been tested with several companies in the list of Forbes 100. Sighs engages in a comprehensive description of these trends including their different definitions and the various elements that constitute them. He then goes on to translate the trends into opportunities for both businesses, as well as people’s personal lives. This book is very informative and educative and on a personal level I have learned a lot. I have learnt of the huge opportunity that lies ahead because of the future trends. I have also learnt how to prepare adequately for these trends and how to take full advantage once they become a reality. The vivid description is one of the things that make this book likable. I like that the author has used relatively simplistic and hugely descriptive language throughout the book. This makes the book easy to understand, In addition, the other likable thing about this book is that it does not focus on just one section or class of the society. For example, the book exhibits how all classes of people including the rich, the middle class and the poor can grasp the huge opportunity availed by the global trends. Overall, this is a very educative, informational and entertaining publication that everyone who has great plans for the future should read.

Thesis

The book ‘New Megatrends: Implications for our Future Lives” presents clear picture of how the business sector and how the personal lives of global citizens will be impacted by 10 megatrends that are expected to hit the globe in near future and also offers explicit advice on how to fully grasp the huge opportunity availed by these trends and how to full benefit and profit from them.
There are various quotes and phrases in the book that pass the message clearly and that support this thesis or that act as its framework.. The author for instance states that “the knowledge of these mega trends is only a first step towards understanding your future opportunities. One must identify these trends, their relevance and importance, build scenarios, analyze their impacts, and identify their customer’s current unmet needs to real future opportunities in 2020” (Sigh, 2012, p. 226). This quote acts as a guidance to understanding the usability of the book’s content. Another distinctive quote in the book is where discusses the importance of the trends where he states that “the trends will affect us personally, professionally socially and will change the way we think, communicate, move, do business and interact with customers, peers, suppliers, colleagues and even communities” (Sigh, 2012, p. 232).
The book offers great contribution to the already existing knowledge about the future of global development. It offers a fresh perspective on this future and instead of just exploring the expected future trends on face value; the authors goes ahead, and exemplary translates the trends into their effect on business and personal lives.
The main trends explored by the Sigh 2012 are (in no particular order): e-mobility, social trends, urbanization, health and wellness, virtual connected work, new battlefield, smart is the new green, innovating to zero, from planes to trains value for many business models.
Perhaps the greatest contribution by the author, as mentioned earlier, is the translation of the trends into opportunities. Through the trends, Sigh passes on a message of hope; that the future global trends will bring about opportunities that every single person can grasp and improve themselves from their current condition. In regards to business, Sigh also signifies hope showing the new trends will lead to an increase in global business opportunities. This will obviously benefit the globe as a whole.
One of the greatest strengths of this book by Sigh is that most of the concepts are derived from facts. As mentioned previously, this book is drawn from comprehensive research conducted by a globally renowned research company. In addition, most of the findings from this research have been tested with some of the major global corporations that are widely recognized and accredited. Simply put, the book is not in any way speculative in nature, rather, it derives most of its concepts from already established facts.
In fact, at the beginning of every new trend discussion, the author commences by giving a premise for the trend. Simply put, the author gives a short background of a certain trend and then goes to give a reason why a particular trend will occur. This obviously makes the book very credible and is one of its major strengths.
The other strength is the extremely descriptive nature of the book contents, particularly with regard to the trends. Sigh does not simply state what a given trend is about but rather explores each trend deeply without leaving any element out. For example in regards to the trend of “smart is the new green’”, the author goes into details about what this trend specifically encompasses. He begins by exploring what being green means. Being green involves aspects such as the switching off of light bulbs, not in use (conserving energy), reducing the carbon footprint by driving less among others (Sigh, 2010, p. 6). He then goes to describe what being smart entails. According to him, being green will be progressively replaced by being smart which he defines as “improving efficiency without changing personal habits” ((Sigh, 2010, p. 6). Sigh does this for every concept that he explores through a very descriptive language and is once again very exhaustive.
Another major strength of the book is the use of vivid examples by the author. This includes the use of real companies and individuals in the world. For example, most of the trends discussed are accompanied by a real life example of a company, an entity or an individual who is already exploiting this trend and perhaps benefiting from it. This obviously helps the reader to get the idea that the trends are not a fluke. Using the example of the “smart is the new green” trend, the author uses a case study of a company known as “Schneider Electric”. Sigh goes into explicit detail about how this company has gone “smart” and how it is already benefiting from this venture. Sigh discusses how the company has in the last five years invested in smart solutions across the energy chain. He discusses how this company has reaped massively from its focus on smart solutions, specifically how the company’s revenues have continued to rise even in the midst of global economic crisis.
Therefore, there are very many strengths in this book with the major one being the factual evidence used and the vivid examples that further contributes to the credibility of the book and the authenticity, viability and accuracy of its contents.
There are not many weaknesses that can be traced back to this book. In fact, the strengths of the book trounce on its weaknesses.
Nevertheless, perhaps one of the not so strong elements of the book and that be considered to be a weaknesses is the fact that the author does not provide solutions to some the challenges that will accompany the new trends and that might in fact derail profit maximization from these trends. A majority of the book is centered on how the trends can be exploited positively and how profits and benefits can be maximized. However, the author does not take much time to explore some of the main challenges that might accompany the process of trying to grasp the opportunities presented by the trends. As much as the trends will benefit the business sectors and the personal lives of people, it is wise to acknowledge that ensuring maximum benefit will not be an exactly smooth process without any barriers. Consequently, perhaps the author could have dedicated a significant part of the book explaining some simple and constructive ways in which some of these challenges can be mitigated or fully eliminated.
The relevance of this book and its contents cannot be underestimated. Some might argue that the book has come too early given that some of the trends are very far away from full realization. Such people might also argue that the book is not of much relevance because it talks about a future that is relatively far away instead of focusing on the present. However, such an argument is obviously not wise. As much as people need to focus on the present and how to make the best out of it, there is a great need to study the future and adequately plan for it. By examining the future and predicting some of the expected trends, the author is presenting a golden opportunity for current business leaders and in fact all people to adequately plan for the future and make sure that sufficient gains are made from what the future holds. In addition, the book is also relevant because it gives an idea to modern business about how they should adjust themselves in order to move along with the expected trends and not to be overwhelmed by it.
In conclusion, the book” New Mega Trends: Implications for our Future Lives” is a brilliantly compiled book that offers a fresh look or perspective on the future global trends. The author concentrates on ten specific trends that he thinks will have the greatest impact on business and peoples’ personal lives and also provides a guidance on how to fully benefit from these trends. This is done through relatively understandable, descriptive language that is accompanied by vivid real life examples and facts.

References

Singh, S. (2012). New mega trends: implications for our future lives. Palgrave Macmillan.