Future Cultures: Building Adaptive Organizations

In this lecture, Changeist partners Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith will shed light on the essential cultural dimensions that create truly future-ready organizations. Based on their book "Future Cultures," this talk draws from unprecedented access and field experience inside organizations of different sizes and purposes—from global corporations to cultural institutions, government agencies to innovative startups.

Scott and Susan will unpack the six critical cultural layers that form the foundation of adaptive organizations:

• People and mindset: the embodied culture
• Language and communication: what we speak, we create
• Tools and knowledge: socializing intelligence
• Space and experience: making places for future(s)
• Rules and norms: shaping behaviour
• Networks and ecosystems: building webs of support
  

Drawing from their diverse case studies and hands-on consulting experience, the authors offer practical insights into cultural transformation pathways that organizations can begin implementing immediately.

This lecture serves as a perfect introduction to the class the following day, where participants will explore ways to build future cultures by looking back at successes and challenges from a regional future perspective set in 2035.

About Susan & Scott

Susan Cox-Smith is co-founder and partner at Changeist, consulting on futures projects for organizations including ADCB, AXA, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Nesta, and National Lottery Fund. She led design and delivery of a public workshop platform exploring feminist futures for IWDA, and has provided research and narrative development for international exhibitions and immersive experiences. She oversees Changeist's capacity building workshops, developing futuring skills for leaders from Microsoft, Netflix, Wells Fargo, and NASA JPL. A Visiting Research Fellow at the University of South Australia, she is co-author of "Future Cultures" (2023).

Scott Smith is co-founder and managing partner of Changeist, with twenty years of experience in futures, strategy and innovation. He has consulted to global institutions including SWIFT, UNICEF, UNDP, The Royal Society, and Dubai Future Foundation, plus major brands like BBC, The New York Times Company, ASOS, Samsung, and Comcast. He helped create and lead Dubai Future Academy's Strategic Foresight program and led courses at Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development. A Visiting Research Fellow at the University of South Australia, he is author of "How to Future" (2020) and co-author of "Future Cultures" (2023).

Program
Restaurant Varv is open from 8 am.

Doors open and registration from 8.30 am

Event starts at 9 am

Event ends at 10.30 am

Context

The lecture is part of our series on Foresight and Futures and held as part of Create, Adapt, Sustain – a project that supports creative professionals in Skåne to strengthen digital skills, leadership competences and Futures thinking. It is run by Media Evolution in collaboration with Region Skåne and The City of Malmö, with funding from the European Social Fund.