The future is coming – who will be there to lead us into it? Some companies are operating with the future in mind, but how much and how so? What legacy will they leave behind?

Professor Nick Barter, from Griffith University, in Australia, returns to discuss the concept of generational governance – where organisations consider the next generation in their actions.

Nick tells us whether we are closer to the Future Normal being normal now, looks at how we think 30 years ahead, and reveals the importance of bringing younger people into the boardroom – and even having next generation advisory boards.

We consider existing examples of companies with future boards in place; talk about how Wales and Finland set examples for other countries to follow; wonder how we can help the next generation move in the right direction; and dig deeper into Nick’s survey of companies across the UK, Japan, and Australia, to see what it reveals about attitudes and practices around generational governance.

Plus, why is everything 5 out of 10 in Japan, how have we lost sight of the meaning of sustainability, what are the origins of Nintendo, and – possibility most importantly – how sustainable are the Moomins?

See how Wales has integrated future generations into its thinking: https://futuregenerations.wales/

Take a glimpse into the Finnish Committee for the Future: https://www.parliament.fi/EN/valiokunnat/tulevaisuusvaliokunta/Pages/default.aspx

Read about Dr Innan Sasaki’s work on ancient companies in Japan: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/research/fifty-four-degrees/old-and-crafty

And discover more about Nick’s work on his Future Normal site: https://futurenormal.net/

Episode Transcript