Waves of Demographic Change Are Rolling In
Mark Rapier CMAS, ALC
Trusted Guide | Author | Lifelong Learner | Corporate Diplomat | Certified M&A Specialist | Certified Life Coach
Today's second topic is a book review of Beyond Engineering: How Society Shapes Technology.
Word Count: About 950 words, with an approximate reading time of 4 to 6 minutes.?Please share your thoughts in the comments.?Please be kind and subscribe to my newsletter.
Links to purchase the books discussed in this newsletter can be found on my website’s recommended reading page.
CNN’s article about the expulsion of two Tennessee legislators provides an excellent case study on looking beyond headlines and checking personal biases.?The article focuses on political divides.?It contained links to demographics analysis by the Brookings Institution.?The insights they reveal affect all the business decisions leaders must make.
The oldest millennials (1980 to 1996) are now age 41.?This generation is poised to take over key roles in business and government.?Over half of the US population is a millennial or younger.
Our younger generations are more diverse, which directly impacts how they view the world.
These changes in the population explain why businesses and universities are embracing Diversity and Inclusion.?Every organization wants to attract the best talent. Companies focus their marketing on those who are more likely to buy their goods and services.?
The tremendous stress on our political institutions may be rooted in the fact that older people are much more likely to vote.?Their words and actions focus on connecting with probable voters, putting them behind the curve.
More change will come.?We cannot fight the sea or the wind.?We must learn to adjust our course and sails to ride the waves and use their energy to propel us forward.
“Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” – Benjamin Disraeli?
Book Review: Beyond Engineering: How Society Shapes Technology by Robert Pool
In my last newsletter, I wrote about AI and our need to improve our critical thinking skills to evaluate digital content.?As more stories and articles appear about concerns with the newest generation of AI, a theme common to many is that generative AI was sprung on the work from technology labs.?This is not how it happened, and it reminded me of Beyond Engineering.?Published in 1999, it explores many aspects of technological development.?
Innovation follows a pattern of normal technology, technological revolution, then more normal technology.?For the most part, engineers and designers work within established frameworks, making incremental improvements over time.?This normal state continues until technological limits are reached.?This is when a technical revolution is required.?Pool uses aeronautical engineering as an example.?In the 1920s and 1930s, aeronautical engineers focused on improving propeller-driven aircraft.?In the mid-1930s, it was clear that efficiency was reaching its limits.?At about this time, the idea of the turbojet developed independently in England and Germany.?This technology required a complete reimagining of how airplanes were built.?Once the jet engine was proven, a new normal was created, and improvements have been made ever since.
Another factor to remember is that technology develops in the context of the larger society.?Factors that affect technical innovation include economic, political, and societal realities.?Generative AI is an excellent example.?It is the natural evolution of what has come before it.?ChatGPT and similar technologies are a response to consumer demand.?AI has been with us for many years.?Consumers have embraced Siri and Alexa.?Smart homes and autonomous vehicles are increasingly more sophisticated.?To continue to increase AI’s value in our everyday lives, we need generative AI.
Beyond Technology includes examples from many eras and industries to help us understand the process of technological innovation and creation.?These include atomic energy, automobiles, light bulbs, and medicine.?This is an older book, but it is still worth reading.?Order your copy here.
What I’m Up To
Working with the M&A Leadership Council to facilitate The Art of M&A? for Divestiture & Carve-Out Leaders was a privilege and pleasure.?This course is part of the council’s Certified M&A Specialist certification program.?Fifteen people from ten companies attended this three-day session.
Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
The never-too-busy intersection
One of my favorite scenes in the movie Margin Call is when the CEO (Jeremy Irons) asks the analyst (Zachary Quinto) to “explain this issue to me as you might to a young child or a golden retriever.”?If we always did this, there would be much less miscommunication.
While you are at it, never use obscure words to try to impress people with how smart you are.?It is like trying to teach a pig to sing; it annoys the pig, and it can’t sing.
Another communication tip – Take time before responding to ensure the message is clear.?I often compose in Word.?I always use Grammarly.
An interesting history on the recent history of retail.
Being a princess (or prince) is not all it is cracked up to be.
The Swift Economy.?Concerts have always been big business.?(The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc.)?Jimmy Buffett has built a huge business that originated with his concert career.
AI and its positive impact on astronomy.
I enjoy great wordplay.
Quotes
“To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”
- Thomas Edison
"Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof."
- John Kenneth Galbraith
You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
My goal is to make this newsletter as interesting and valuable as possible.?Please share your thoughts and suggestions for improvement.?If there are specific topics in leadership you would like me to focus on in future issues, please send them my way.