Human-factor keys for seizing opportunities when everything changes
The ground keeps moving
3 to 5-years strategic plans with yearly reviews are over.
Today, a new technology, regulation or social event can reshape a market in the time between two quarterly reviews. The winners are rarely the firms with the cleverest lab; they’re the ones that spot faint signals early, talk them through together, and feel safe running small experiments before the rest of the world catches up. When this mindset becomes routine, change feels less like disruption and more like momentum.
Let’s look at the past. Two well-known names, one repeating lesson…
Xerox.
We may not know it, but by the mid-1970s the research team at Xerox PARC had rolled out working prototypes of a mouse-driven computer, Ethernet networking and the laser printer 1.
When the machines reached headquarters, senior leaders asked just one question: “Will any of this help us sell more copiers?” Because the link felt uncertain, funding cooled.
What happened to these innovations? Visitors from Apple and, later, Microsoft saw the same ideas and raced ahead. Xerox, the company that had glimpsed the office of the future, settled for watching others build it.
BlackBerry.
Thirty years later BlackBerry was the must-have on-the-go executive tool, capitalising on their top notch security features and what seemed to be a critical feature : actual keys. Yet, on the day Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone to the world, BlackBerry leaders called the touchscreen a”fad”, and remained convinced that executives needed actual keys. Within six years, Blackberry’s U.S. share slid from more than 40% to almost zero 2; and by 2022 the firm shut its phone network for good.
In both stories, the breakthrough technology had been spotted by the market leaders. What was missing … was an organisation ready to question critical beliefs, take action, and pilot what it had seen.
Where strong companies often slip
• Early clues, late action
Teams often spot emerging trends but stall at the “now what?” moment. Without a clear first step, attention snaps back to the urgent and familiar—letting the signal fade until it becomes a crisis.
• Confirmation bias & yesterday’s scorecards
Our brains naturally privilege information that reinforces what we already believe. Layer on KPI dashboards built for yesterday’s business and anything novel feels risky. MIT Sloan’s research on weak signals shows how quickly early evidence is rationalised away when it doesn’t fit the prevailing mental model.
• Routine as a comfort zone
When routine is the yard-stick, experimentation can feel risky or out of place. Unless psychological safety is deliberately cultivated, people hold back dissenting views and nascent ideas. Google’s Project Aristotle 3 found psychological safety to be the strongest predictor of high-performing teams—without it, innovation never leaves the notebook.
Notice how none of these hurdles is technical; all are human.
What Better Futures brings to the table
Our role is to act as a catalyst. We don’t claim to be deep-tech gurus or all-industry specialists (though we do bring critical expertise in certain business arenas). Instead, we create the space and structure that let your own experts explore, decide and build—before a faint signal turns into a burning platform.
Below are a few examples of how we can swiftly support your organisation:
Spot and act on change signals early through Signal-to-Action Sprints
Over a few days, a cross-section of colleagues scans the horizon, maps the shifts that matter, and—crucially—works backward to three or four low-cost trials that can start as soon as next week.
Each idea leaves the room with a one-page charter, a lean budget and clear learning markers.
2. Equip managers to lead change through Change-Leadership Labs
Managers spend a few short, hands-on sessions, understanding biases and emotions that can hinder change, before crafting a story that explains why the experiment matters, rehearsing routines that invite constructive challenge, and practising the conversations that turn cautious stakeholders into partners.
The work tackles live issues, not textbook cases, so progress starts immediately.
3. Make sustainability practical through bootcamps
Climate, circular design and social impact can feel abstract—yet they’re key vectors of change. We start with an interactive workshop that blends essential science, your current reality and real success stories from peers. Then,we sit down with the people who can act—designers, buyers, operations leads, finance—and coach them to spot key leverage points and shape practical change pilots. Deep specialists join only when truly needed; your team keeps ownership from day one.
4. Accelerate pilot projects through embedded smart project management teams
We help you pinpoint strategic inflection points and launch pilot change projects. Our team acts as your dedicated smart project and change management task force: calibrating ambition with you, setting the right ritual cadence and agenda, engaging stakeholders around a common goal, and driving visible progress.
The common theme in every service: an empowering collaborative approach based on small, visible steps that build confidence and make learning scalable for all.
Why this matters right now
Generative AI, tighter disclosure rules and shifting customer values are gathering pace, whatever the political climate. Investors, regulators and employees increasingly trust visible actions over promises on a slide.
To make sustainable, positive change happen, the right conditions and skills must come together. A culture that empowers employees and learns in public—through modest, well-framed tests—earns that trust and keeps the organisation ready for whatever comes next. Yet even strong companies slip when early signals feel too vague to act on, old scorecards drown out fresh clues, or people fear questioning the routine.
At BetterFutures, we help teams break through these traps. Our hands-on workshops and embedded teams de-dramatise change, build autonomy and maintain psychological safety—so your next big idea feels like an opportunity, not a threat.
⇒ If early change signals are already reaching your market and you’d like a gentle nudge toward constructive action, let’s talk.
Sources
Wired.com - The 1970s conference that predicted the future of work
Businessinsider.com - BlackBerry's share of the global smartphone market is now officially 0%
Psychsafety.com - Google’s Project Aristotle
