Jim Carroll

International futurist, trends & innovation expert
Author, Surviving the Information Age
Lives 5 years into the future!

Programs

Moving Beyond the Meltdown: Aligning Yourself for Growth Through Innovation

In the face of widespread economic volatility, organizations have three essential choices: they can panic, making rash decisions on structure, markets, investments; they can freeze and do nothing; or they can respond to rapid change through innovation, particularly with respect to strategies, structure, capabilities, markets, products, and activities.

Jim Carroll, one of the world's leading futurists, trends & innovation experts shares his insight on the strategies that leading edge organizations are pursuing to stay ahead of the economy.

It's timely and critical insight! Many CEO's and senior executives understand that in addition to managing existing challenges, now is the time to focus on trends and the future, and that they need to act quickly to establish an innovative mindset to get there intact. Jim provides his unique insight on staying ahead in volatile times, through his signature keynote addresses, after-dinner talks, discussions at small intimate management/Board meetings, or by speaking and participating in large scale senior management and leadership meetings.

Keep the Faith: Motivating Staff in a Time of Challenge and Change

There is no doubt that these are challenging and perilous times. A constant stream of negativity, fear, and concern envelopes the workplace, as the result of an extended period of uncertainty. People are worried about their jobs, their careers, and their lives. They head to work each and every day, wondering what is going to happen next. The impact can be dramatic. When people are faced with rapid, unexplained, relentless, and ongoing negativity, they need a motivational message to set them going again. That's where Jim Carroll comes in! Carroll motivates people by helping them understand that the future is still very much in front of us. He clearly articulates the challenges faced by an organization, but then puts into perspective how the future is going to unfold. By doing so, he defines for people the opportunities and challenges that they face - and encourages them to grab onto the future, rather than focusing on the difficulties of the past. It is a unique approach to the issue of motivation. As a "motivational futurist for the digital age," Carroll is renowned for the impact that his presentation has on people.

Thriving on Change! How to Create an Innovation Culture

With the collapse of the hey-day 90's, too many organizations have lost their courage to move forward. Yet every organization continues to be threatened by a multiple number of factors: empowered consumers, global competition, price commoditization, the impact of technology and global connectivity, and a focus on quality. It's time to provide some "innovation oxygen" to your organization in order to keep going forward with the future, instead of concentrating on the past.

How to Become a Forward Thinking Organization

In an era in which the only certainty is uncertainty, it is critical that organizations learn to anticipate and control the future before it controls them. They must learn to understand how future trends will affect them - whether it be with their markets, customers, the competition, business models, corporate structure, or product and service innovation. Carroll believes that far too many organizations have let their staff drift into a culture of complacency. They've allowed an attitude of "we've always done it that way" to creep into place - and that phrase has become the foundation upon which they strategize and prepare for the future. Now wonder they struggle to survive, and fail to spot countless new opportunities! In this highly customized presentation, Carroll helps organizations learn how to become more forward thinking in their views. He wakes them up, shakes them up, and helps them become attuned to the challenges and opportunities of the future, rather than mired in the mundane issues of today and the problems of the past.

What Comes Next? (...and What Should You Do About It?)

A company needs to understand how it can adequately plan for the unique challenges that are set to emerge as the pace of innovation and change continues to speed up. This riveting keynote presentation on the future will leave you motivated, challenged, curious - and driven to deal with change! The future continues to rush towards us at a breath-taking pace. Carroll can provide you with the critical insight you need to ensure that you can control your future, rather than have it control you!

Coping with Ketchup: How to Adapt to a World of Constant Change

In case you haven't noticed, Heinz has turned their ketchup bottle upside down, and it's causing havoc in homes around the world. Using this phenomenon as a metaphor, Carroll explains his perspective that adults in the workforce are of a generation that is uniquely incapable of coping with change. They've been through a tumultuous time in the workplace, one that has involved fare more change than ever before. And the simple fact is that they aren't conditioned to cope with change in the same way that young people are. The result is that they react by rebelling against change, or simply, don't change. That's the focus of this fast-paced, hilarious, fun and challenging presentation that helps people understand their barriers to change, and learn how to break through those barriers.

Hyper-boomers, Gen-Connect and Manure Managers: How the Heck Do We Manage the Skills Challenges of the Future?

Jim explores some of the biggest challenges facing organizations today. With the coming "end of retirement," most companies will come to realize they'll need a lot of telephones with big buttons for members of the 70+ folks who are still a part of their workforce -- and a lot of innovative workplace practices as well. That's but one challenge -- the arrival of "Gen-Connect" -- the kids who have been wired with a mouse since birth -- will lead to the question of whether "good luck" will be the only possible response to the question of "Managing Gen-Y." This workplace weirdness will only be compounded by the ongoing rapid evolution of knowledge and skills, such that most organizations will find it impossible to find the highly specialized skills needed in the economy of the future. Are we really in an economy in which there is an emerging profession of folks known as "manure managers?" You bet -- and it's all pa rt of the unique issues that companies must begin thinking about today. Invite Jim to share his insight into the trends that you are already faced with, and the innovative and creative ways that you can come to grips with the depth of the challenges ahead.

Healthcare Trends & Transformation: What Medical Professionals Must Do in an Era of Constant Change

What happens in a world in which the patient has been information empowered? Where medical devices are routinely connected into a smart-grid that allows for a healthcare system in which wired caregivers and connected doctors play an increasing role? When the pace of growth of medical knowledge exceeds the capability of the average medical professional to keep up? Carroll addresses these issues, and many others, in a customized presentation designed to help healthcare executives, administrators and professionals understand how our entire concept of medicine and healthcare delivery is changing as a result of the flood of significant new trends and developments.

What's Happening with Our Workforce: Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Skills Agility

Join international futurist, trends & innovation expert Jim Carroll as he explores some of the biggest challenges facing organizations today, particularly with an increasingly complex, restless, age-diverse disloyal, and highly specialized workforce. With the coming "end of retirement," most companies will come to realize they'll need a lot of telephones with big buttons for members the 70+ folks who are still a part of their workforce -- and a lot of innovative workplace practices as well. That's but one challenge -- the arrival of "Gen-Connect" -- the kids who have been wired with a mouse since birth -- will lead to the question of whether "good luck" will be the only possible response to the question of "Managing Gen-Y." This workplace weirdness will only be compounded by the ongoing rapid evolution of knowledge and skills, such that most organizations will find it impossible to find the highly specialized skills needed in the economy of the future. The "War for Talent" will be the new competitive battleground, and organizations that can attract, engage, retain and amuse an increasingly complex workforce will be the ones who find success in the rapidly evolving global economy.

Customized Topics Just For You!

Global clients such as Disney, DaimlerChrysler, Caterpillar, Nestle and Motorola didn't choose Jim for a canned speech - they chose Jim because of his worldwide reputation for providing a highly customized, energizing and unique presentation into the future, innovation, and issues of creativity that directly relates to their issues, challenges, opportunities and concerns.

Jim works with you and undertakes detailed research to prepare a customized presentation that meets your needs. He does what you need him to do: he addresses your issues, goals and opportunities, in the framework of his expertise as a global trends, innovation and change expert.

In doing so, he comes up with some wonderfully customized, serious or quirky title presentations for your keynote that will be sure to engage your audience right off the bat.

Sample topic ideas:
* 7 Things You Need to Do Right Now: Aligning The Fast Future to Your Current Strategy
* Where's the Growth? What's Hot and Not When Volatility Rocks!
* Game Changers: The 8 Big Trends That Will Rock Your World
* What Do Innovative Companies Do? How to Unlock Your Potential in the High Velocity Economy
* OMG! What to Do If Your Strategy for Tomorrow is Already Today's Yesterday!
* What's Happening with Your Workforce: Making Generations Work!
* What Comes Next? Leadership Insight for the High-Velocity Economy
* Agility, Insight & Execution: Establishing High Performance Teams in the Multi-Second Economy
* Leading the Future: Leadership in an Era of Innovation and Change

Speaker Information

Jim Carroll is one of the world's leading futurists, trends & innovation experts. And it's his inspirational, transformative thinking that will help you discover opportunity in an era of high-velocity change. And in his most recent keynotes and leadership sessions, he has been helping his clients meet the challenges of the economic contraction by focusing on innovation, and by aligning their strategy to fast-paced future trends.

Jim has a tracked record of providing unique guidance on cutting edge trends, and identifying opportunities for innovation, to some of the most prestigious organizations in the world. When the Walt Disney Corporation went looking for an expert on the topic of innovation and creativity, they went with Jim Carroll! When the Readers Digest Food & Entertainment Division, the publisher of such innovative magazines as Everyday with Rachel Ray, went looking for a keynote speaker for a New York City based symposium on marketing and advertising trends, they went with Jim Carroll. And when the US College Board searched for an inspirational futurist who could address the future of education, for an audience that includes leading educators from Harvard, Yale, and 100 other top US universities and colleges, they chose Jim Carroll!

Such high profile events are typical of the many globally recognized organizations who have discovered the bold & inspirational insight on future trends and innovation that Jim provides. In the last fifteen years, he has proven himself as one of the world's leading futurists, trends and innovation expert, with a diverse client list that includes Motorola, Nestle, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Caterpillar, Lincoln Financial, CapitalOne, the American Nursery and Landscape Association, the Swiss Innovation Forum, Toshiba Australia, the World Healthcare Innovation and Technology Congress, and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.

What's Jim Carroll talking about? Global economic trends; hyper-innovation; rapid time to market; the latest consumer trends; collapse of product lifecycles and high-velocity marketing; the skills crisis, managing Gen-connect and the new workplace; creating high performance, change oriented teams. Achieving innovation and opportunity in an era of economic challenge. You name it -- this global thought leader is talking about it.

Jim has become internationally recognized for his cutting edge insight. He was named by Business Week as one of four leading sources for insight into creativity and innovation, and was a featured panelist on the CNBC prime-time series, The Future of Innovation, with host Maria Baritoromo. The global financial powerhouse, Credit Suisse, sought his insight into issues of economic growth for their global publication, Bulletin. His insight has been covered in ABC News, INC, Fast Company, CNBC, the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), The Age (Sydney, Australia), CAPITAL Magazine (Dubai/United Arab Emirates) and CEO Magazine Hungary. In addition, he has written over 3,000 articles for a wide variety of print publications.

As an author, columnist, media commentator, and consultant, Carroll is completely focused on creativity and innovation, insight that is captured in his books, Ready, Set, Done! How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast and What I Learned From Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward Thinking Innovation.

What does Jim bring to your meeting or event? Insight, wisdom, inspiration -- and extremely customized insight. He has carefully studied the key strategies and leadership ideas that have permitted some organizations to achieve breakthrough innovations and absolutely compelling levels of creativity. Jim's experience and ability to customize each engagement allows him to be able to address almost any industry. He has undertaken detailed research into a wide variety of industry trends, including agriculture, health care, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, retail, consumer products, economic development, financial services, insurance, education, and many others.

Global clients such as Disney, Caterpillar, Nestle and Motorola didn't choose Jim for a canned speech - they chose Jim Carroll because of his worldwide reputation for providing a highly customized, energizing and unique presentation into the future, innovation, and issues of creativity that directly relates to their issues, challenges, opportunities and concerns. Of course, every presentation needs a title, and consider a few of the recent ones that his clients have used to promote their event or meeting:

* Moving Beyond the Meltdown: Aligning Yourself for Growth Through Innovation
* What Comes Next With the Global Economy? Opportunities, Strategies and Inspiration That Will Keep You Focused
* 7 Things You Need to Do Right Now: Aligning The Fast Future to Your Current Strategy
* Where's the Growth? What's Hot and Not When Volatility Rocks!
* Game Changers: The 8 Big Trends That Change Everything You Think You Know
* What Do Innovative Companies Do? How to Unlock Your Potential in the High Velocity Economy
* What's Happening with Your Workforce: Making Generations Work!

Jim works with you and undertakes detailed research to prepare a customized presentation that meets your needs. He does what you need him to do: he addresses your issues, goals and opportunities, in the framework of his expertise as a global trends, innovation and change expert. In doing so, he comes up with some wonderfully customized, serious or quirky title presentations for your keynote that will be sure to engage your audience right off the bat.