Humanizing Our Future Fluency

How Human Connection Elevated Future Fluency

I imagine you’ve been here: you create something. You feel pretty good about it, but you can sense something is missing. Something that would pull everything you have so together into a clear, compelling, cohesive concept.

This is exactly what happened to me this week with the Future Fluency Framework.

After walking through the idea with my friend Sam, I realized I’d left out the most important part—you. The human part.

In this issue, I want to share how I used some of the qualities of future fluency, went back to the board (literally), created a more cohesive idea and what it looks like now.

If you haven’t read the previous issue on the future fluent framework, it’d be helpful for context, even though it’s changed!

The Power of The Pivot

As I mentioned, I thought I had a pretty powerful framework.

But as I talked to Sam—a friend who is also an ideal reader of The Future Fluent—I realized I had an opportunity to review what I’d done and revise it to make it closer to what future fluency is.

First, I realized I was too focused on the specific tools (AI and Software), the outcomes (Productivity) and work—a term that even people who enjoy what they do seem to dread.

I had lost sight of the bigger picture—that these topics were part of larger categories—Amplification Tools, Execution Systems and Visionary Stewardship.

These 3 categories contain those topics but they’re more than those topics themselves.

These are aspects of doing.

• Amplification Tools: A diverse set of resources, methods, and technologies that enhance human capabilities, ranging from practical software applications to cognitive frameworks and collaborative processes, empowering individuals to magnify their impact and effectiveness in navigating future challenges.

• Execution Systems: Frameworks, methodologies, and processes that enable efficient implementation of ideas and strategies in dynamic contexts.

• Strategic Leadership: Guiding vision, inspiring innovation, and empowering others to navigate and shape the future effectively.

Sam also brought up the most important part of it all: you—the human element and your human experience.

The framework was all concepts and no connection.

It was missing the spark, the energy that I bring to every conversation and what I believe is at the core of future fluency: Self-Mastery and Connection.

These are states of being.

• Self-Mastery (being): The foundational development of personal qualities, skills, mindsets and the human experience that enable adaptability and growth in an ever-changing future landscape.

• Connection (being): The vital connect with others, with your environment, with your experience. It also includes the ability to notice connections between ideas and connections between components across diverse domains. Connections foster collaboration, synergy, and holistic understanding in approaching the human experience and the future.

Together, they make up a new Future Fluency Framework, one where Self-mastery—the human experience—is is a part of all we do, Connection is how we relate to everyone and everything, and the 3 doing categories have overlap with every other category.

This feedback was vital to the framework. Without it, I would’ve missed the big picture and the only reason we do what we do.

The irony of this moment was that it was a perfect example of future fluency in action.

I had to be willing to admit that my first attempt wasn't quite right, and be open to evolving my ideas.

It's not always easy, but man, is it worth it.

Developing Your Future Fluency

This refinement was quite a journey!

I've shared how my framework evolved, but what does all this mean for you?

Here's what I believe are the big takeaways—qualities of future fluency you can start to practice today:

• Embrace the power of adaptive refinement. I think we often get stuck on our first idea, but being willing to reshape and refine can lead to something way more powerful. Don't be afraid to pivot when you see a better path.

• Connect with like-minded humans. I almost missed including the human element in a framework about the future! It's easy to get caught up in tech and trends, but at the end of the day, it's all about people. How can you bring more human connection into your work?

• Seek out different perspectives. Talking with Sam opened my eyes to blind spots I didn't even know I had. Who can you reach out to for a fresh take on your ideas?

• Keep the bigger picture in mind. It's easy to get lost in the details, but sometimes you need to step back and look at the whole landscape. How can you zoom out on your current projects or challenges?

Remember, future fluency isn't about predicting what's next.

It's about developing the skills to adapt, collaborate, and evolve your thinking as the world changes.

I believe if we can do that, we'll be ready for whatever the future throws our way.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it - the evolution of the Future Fluency Framework.

I love how a casual chat with a friend can spark such a significant shift in thinking.

It's a reminder that our ideas are always works in progress, ready to be shaped by new insights and perspectives.

I believe this process of refining and evolving our thoughts is at the heart of future fluency.

It's not about having all the answers, but about being open to new questions and willing to explore uncharted territory.

If you're curious about the details of my process after I talked to Sam, I'd love to share more. Drop me an email or leave a comment, and I'll dive into the behind-the-scenes stuff that didn't make it into this issue.

And hey, I'm really interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

How do you approach refining your ideas? What tools or techniques have you found helpful? Your insights might just spark the next evolution of the framework!

Until next time, stay curious!