Terminology matters. For example, the term soft skills does not reflect the importance of the skills it represents. I wrote about this recently in Moving Beyond Soft Skills: Why It Is Time for a New Term. Future proof is another term that needs to be examined. The ideas that future proof is meant to reflect are relevant to organizations and people who are seeking to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing and uncertain world. They are especially important for colleges and universities seeking to prepare students for a future that is not predictable.
Why “Future Proof” Falls Short
One issue with future proof is that it appears to overpromise how an organization or person will perform in the future. This can be seen by comparing it to waterproof. Waterproof means “impervious to water” and “covered or treated with a material (such as a solution of rubber) to prevent permeation by water.” If you purchase a waterproof jacket, you do not expect to get wet in a rainstorm. It is not possible for a process, mindset, or set of skills, or, in the case of an organization, a strategy or culture, to make a person or organization future proof in the way that being waterproof protects a jacket. Even the best prepared people and organizations may struggle and even fail given the uncertainty associated with the future. A more appropriate term would be closer to the meaning of water resistant than to waterproof. A jacket that is water resistant “does not allow water to pass through it easily, or is not easily damaged by water.” The three possible replacements for future proof described below better reflect the ideas that it is meant to offer.
Future Focused, Future Ready, and Futures Empowered
Future focused is one possibility because of the meaning of focus (“directed attention”). Future focused does not imply the certainty offered by future proof. It considers long-term goals and signals of change and trends that may create challenges and opportunities in the future. Where it could be stronger is in suggesting what this requires from the organization or person in terms of action. While those who use future focused often discuss planning and strategy to prepare for the future, the term itself could better articulate this.
Future ready is a good alternative for future proof because being ready for something does not guarantee that you will succeed when you face it, but it does make success more likely. Because ready means “prepared mentally or physically for some experience or action,” it is more like water resistant than waterproof. Future ready also suggests the requirement to perform actions that prepare you mentally and physically for the future through adopting certain mindsets and developing a set of skills.
Why I Prefer “Futures Empowered”
I have started using futures empowered to reflect what future proof is meant to communicate. Empowered is defined as “having the knowledge, confidence, means, or ability to do things or make decisions for oneself.” This reflects the focus on the future that future focused brings while also implying that certain skills and mindsets are needed (like being future ready). This provides confidence in facing the future because you have developed the ability and have the knowledge to successfully navigate it, although it does not guarantee that you will be successful. Empowered’s focus on making decisions is important because, once you learn about what is possible in the future, you will often need to make decisions in the present that take into account what you learned. Finally, the plural of future reflects that the future is not singular and that you must consider multiple possible futures. It also reflects the importance of strategic foresight and futures thinking, which all organizations should be using, and which should be included in undergraduate curricula. I offer one way to do this in Enhancing General Education with Strategic Foresight.
Future focused, future ready, and futures empowered all seem to better articulate what future proof is meant to communicate. There are certainly other terms that can be used besides these three, and I look forward to hearing other alternatives.