THE INTERVIEW

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INSIGHT

“EXPANSION IS WHAT I SEE IN OUR FUTURE. OUR TEAM IS READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD!”

— JOHN GOMES

JOYCE GIOIA, PRESIDENT OF HERMAN GROUP IN AUSTIN, TX.

Forecasts, Not Predictions

THE SIX-TIME AUTHOR AND BOARD MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR PROFESSIONAL FUTURISTS SHARES HER INSIGHT INTO THE BEYOND.

By KAREN FELD

“WE DON’T THROW OUT TAROT CARDS,”

says Joyce Gioia, president of the Herman Group in Austin, TX. A noted strategic business futurist concentrating on relationship aspects of the future, Gioia pens her forecast weekly in the Herman Trend Alert. She attributes her keen ability to discern facts from propaganda to her “boundless curiosity.”

“I help people make better decisions by knowing what’s coming,” Gioia asserts. She has the ability to infer from what is happening now — based on science and research — what could happen in the future. “I never use the word ‘prediction,’ it doesn’t give enough wiggle room,” she says.

Each episode of her upcoming Roku TV show, “It’s Your Future with Joyce Gioia,” will cover one area of what life will be like in the future. Here, Gioia shares her forecast on multiple topics for the decade ahead:

BUSINESS

Experiences will be known to drive profit and the Chief Experience Officer will run the show. A holistic approach to benefits, including flextime and place, will drive the biggest changes in our work and lives. One size doesn’t fit all. Employees value the opportunity to pick what they want. One might want subsidized IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), another elimination of student loan debt or subsidized childcare. Employees want to be aligned with the company values or participation will be a harder sell. It’s about the total experience. We must believe that our lives will be better if we work with your company. There’s an increasing value of inter-personal benefits. Employees will ask, “Is this company helping me live my best life?” More personal perks have higher value as do the perception of benefits by the employee’s peers. Perception is everything. There has been a shift in the employee value proposition. People value time with friends, family and pets more since Covid. It’s all about the experience.

TRANSPORTATION

Electric vehicles and self-driving cars are trending. We won’t see the same level of car sharing, and we aren’t giving up our individual transportation. We value where we want to go, when we want to go, without waiting 15 minutes. That’s especially true of the affluent. They will have their own autonomous vehicles so they can walk out their door and tell their car where to go. The pilot shortage in air travel will drive the need for autonomous aircraft starting with cargo. Flying taxis that are autonomous like an oversized drone will come sooner than you expect.

ANDREY_L /SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

BUSINESS TRAVEL

Despite a reduction temporarily, it will grow. There’s no substitute for humans sharing the same physical space in the same room. It’s impossible to match that remotely. People will evolve to the point that we recognize that digital communication is inferior to face to face.

MARRIAGE

For some of the population marriage will become less important. I see it going away within 20 to 30 years. We have models of this in Scandinavian countries.

CHILD-REARING

Child-rearing will also evolve. Parents are going to learn that they need to meet kids where kids are and not expect their kids to meet them where they are. Parents will need to embrace technology and spend time with their kids in a virtual world as a way to bond with them.

ENTERTAINMENT

VIP experiences with celebrities will continue to grow. More of us will be willing to pay thousands to have personal access to a celebrity. There will be different levels of access, from sharing the stage on a radio or TV show to having dinner and cocktails with the star. Along with the access is the selfie, social media post and swag branded with the name that accompanies the memory.

HEALTH AND DIET

The decline in lifespan in the U.S. has a lot to do with diet and environmental factors including air and water quality. We’re seeing more cancer and autoimmune issues. Are you ready to give up meat? Ten years from now there won’t be plates of meat except plant-based options. Fish are going away, too, except for the affluent who will be able to afford it. Most of us are migrating to vegetarian and vegan diets. (Gioia enjoys a plant-based diet). The body requires less energy to digest plants than animal protein. Meals will be shipped but personalized to your tastes. We will have the convenience of pre-made food, but it will be fresh and plant-based.