Pub. 2 Issue 1

5 change into an opportunity and advan- tage, identifying and acting on change before it occurs, identifying and pre-solv- ing problems before they occur, and jumping ahead with the confidence that comes from certainty. One of the keys in the proven methodol- ogy is identifying both Hard Trends and Soft Trends. Hard Trends are based on future facts — things that will happen, or future events we can all bank on. By con- trast, Soft Trends are based on assump- tions and represent future possibilities — things that may or may not occur but that are open to influence. Leveraging those two concepts allows organizations of all sorts to plan and carry out strategies with a newfound level of confidence that fosters rapid growth and accelerated innovation. By discerning what Hard Trends and Soft Trends are, you have the opportunity to pursue innovation at every level, from ev- eryday innovation increasing productivity to world-renowned forms of disruptive exponential innovation that upends an entire industry like never before. Where Does Agility Fit? Now understanding what it means to be anticipatory, it might seem like you should skip being agile altogether, which is wrong. Agility continues to be an extremely important component in an organization. The key is to keep agility in a proper con- text. Far too often, I see an organization use agile, reactive innovation. You can successfully innovate this way, but you will not jump ahead with the lower risk of applying anticipatory Hard Trends to see predictable game changers. Being anticipatory can actually serve to improve your organization’s agility. If a particular Hard Trend identifies a future certainty, you can prep with the ability to better respond or act before it occurs. By the same token, being aware of Soft Trends affords you the opportunity to influence them to your advantage: a far more proactive and effective form of agility. Consider agility and anticipation as synergistic strategies; when used together with strategic intent, they can acceler- ate innovation, growth and results. By adopting an anticipatory mindset and culture, change and disruption become your biggest competitive advantage. For a discussion on Hard Trends, see the article on page 8. ABOUT DANIEL BURRUS Daniel Burrus is considered one of the World’s Leading Futurists on Global Trends and Disruptive Innovation. The New York Times has referred tohimasoneof the top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker. Only one player knows all the moves and how to pick a winning strategy every time (888) 477-2228 | INFO@DEALERUPLIFT.COM | WWW.DEALERUPLIFT.COM Armatus provides the industry’s only turn-key solution for retail warranty reimbursement submissions. Our dedicated staff and proprietary software guarantee you will achieve an optimized result. OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CLIENTS: ‡ You’ll Barely Lift a Finger: Armatus does all the work for you ‡ Fully Contingent Fee: You only pay when you are approved ‡ Speed and Accuracy: We’ll deliver guaranteed, optimized results ‡ Data Governance: Your customer information is safe with us 49 STATES WE WORK IN 49 STATES WITH 29 MANUFACTURERS 15 ASSOCIATIONS WE ARE ENDORSED/LICENSED BY 15 STATE AUTO DEALER ASSOCIATIONS $170,604 AVERAGE PARTS and LABOR COMBINED UPLIFT OUR CLIENTS ADD ANNUALLY 8 ,000+ SUBMISSIONS WE HAVE OVER 8, 000 SUCCESSFUL SUBMISSIONS RETA I L WARRANTY RE IMBURSEMENT Endorsed by