„The future is not some place we are going to, but an idea in our mind now.
It is something we’re creating, that in turn creates us.”
Stephen Grosz, psychoanalyst and author
I’ve been passionate about the future for many years, talking both in front of a large audience or small management circles. Here I would like to tell you something about the way I think.
I am a keynote speaker. As the name suggests, keynotes are »decryptions« that put a specific topic in a larger context: ie the context of long-term perspectives, the connections within systems — namely the future. This requires a multi-dimensional view and a very specific mix of “logos, pathos and ethos” — the three pillars of Aristotelian rhetoric. In English, one would say: “information, feeling, and meaning“.
The future as a space of opportunity
Every lecture is a unique experiment. An attempt to enter into a relationship with the audience that enables new perspectives. We are used to seeing the world from the perspective of problems, fears and negativity. I take a »possibilistic« approach, which means opening up the future as a space of opportunity. True belief, I am convinced, ultimately arises from the change in perspective. It is about opening the mind and seeing the world through different eyes. Above all, good stories and a pinch of humour help.
Beyond PowerPoint
Nothing is more boring than a PowerPoint lecturer who reads through what is on the slides. I therefore use presentations with lots of pictures and short film sequences. This creates a creative tension between the world of images and words, imagination and concrete ideas. I never speak unprepared, but always freely and without a manuscript. Let me have a little time to build my arc of suspense. Between 50 and 60 minutes are ideal for a keynote talk, but I also offer keynote speeches between 20 or 30 minutes followed by a discussion.
Topic selection
As a universalist, I cannot be a specialist in every industry. But I try to make the topic vibrate — and to connect it with the long-term trends. The broad view of the future enables access to almost all topics. The lecture topics, which you can see here on the »Topics« page, are intended as a basic orientation, they represent certain basic perspectives. You can combine them with each other and also combine them a special theme of the customer /event. A briefing phone call is helpful in this case.
