Which values will become more important in the future?
Review of the Thinktalk Future Perspectives 2030.

With its megatrend and value study, GIM foresight sets itself apart from bold predictions of the future and offers an empirical knowledge basis for corporate future planning and thus strategic opportunities for new business areas. How will the world change under the influence of megatrends – algorithmization, exploitation, design, fragmentation and re-localization? How can these changes be classified? Based on the answers to these and other questions, GIM foresight determines which values are and will be important to people in a world of change. In their study, the researchers derived 33 theses from the five megatrends and presented them to 1,000 participants and 46 experts from Germany for evaluation. This is how the resulting Values Map 2030 was created and presented to us, on which people’s desires, hopes, rejections and fears were identified in Values Visions 2030.

The values map shows numerous tensions, as many value fields are either in the area of ‘longing’ – and are therefore highly desired, but at the same time seen as unlikely with a view to the future – or in the area of ‘fears’ and thus represent developments that are not particularly desired, but which, from the respondents’ point of view, are highly likely to occur in the future.

Values such as tradition, homeland and the classic family are highly desired among the participants. However, this is where the least progression is expected in the future. Likewise, people long for real closeness in the increasingly digital world. However, participants doubt the relevance of real human contact in the future. The least desired and expected value area is security and control – stronger surveillance in the future is met with strong rejection. The value field of responsibility is seen as the only field that is both desired and has potential relevance in the future.

One value area that is expected for the future but is less desired is performance and competition. Citizens do not want to see further increases in pressure on people through even higher performance expectations.

Freedom is also a particularly high priority as a value in the ValuesVisions 2030 update – especially against the background of the restrictions and limitations of recent years. The update also listed ‘slowing down’ and ‘mental health’ as ‘new values’ in the field of hope, as an increasing number of people have a greater need for mental balance and psychological stabilization.

After a very dynamic and productive discussion on the transfer of the findings to current social events and initial solution-oriented approaches to implementation in the context of corporate change processes, Tanja Skiendziel-Scheeler provided an excellent insight into the results of the Future Perspectives 2030 study.

The focus of the lecture was on the changes in the following areas:

• Reside
• Work
• Mobility

Citizens are classified into three population interest groups:

Preserver: Conservative, classically influenced, status-oriented, security in work, private life and work separated, dutiful

World Optimizer: Sustainability, climate protection, purpose, focus on further training, being up-to-date, work should have meaning, focus on the common good

Self-optimizer: Designer, desire for flexibility and purpose, focused on personal goals, tech-savvy

These three segments of society think differently about housing, work and mobility. While commuting is unattractive for all three segments, the self-optimizers are more pleased with flexibility in working hours than the preservers. The work should give meaning to the world optimizers, while the preservers long above all for security.

In the future, companies will have to pay more attention to the different characteristics of the different segments in order to design their own offerings and culture according to the wishes and needs of their employees and thus ensure long-term motivation and involvement in the organization.