Apr 26 2011

$7 billion in resources: so what?

“$7 billion in undeveloped resources in BC’s Flathead Valley” was the caption under a photo in a recent issue of Business In Vancouver. Yes, and what are you implying?

The implication seems to be that we would be better off developing those resources but I’m not clear about the rationale for “better”. Yes, extracting those resources would generate jobs; and those jobs would be “good for the economy”; and people would be happy to have those jobs; and the government would have tax revenue from all that development, and the resources could be extracted and sold at a profit that will accrue to the shareholders of the companies involved in the extraction and sale of those resources, etc.

But would we be better off? What will we do when the caption reads, “No resources left in BC’s Flathead Valley.” Who is thinking ahead; what will we do then? Why don’t we do that now?

Will extracting those resources make for a more sustainable planet hurtling through space with us along for the ride? Will extracting those resources help us take care of the ride? Who is dying for lack of those resources being extracted? Even if we can answer that, what is the intended future impact of extracting them now? Is that a new benefit to the world? Regardless of our intentions, what is our best thinking about the real impact in the future?

How far ahead are you thinking? What are you not thinking about that risks sinking your organization later? What is the risk you haven’t considered? The risk of doing nothing – or doing anything just so you’re doing something?

Let’s hear some good examples of long-term thinking. Or, feel free to give us some examples of ridiculously short-term thinking.

Next post we’ll take a look at Sam Palmisano?, IBM’s CEO. He’s a guy who definitely thinks ahead.

_{Photo: Armstrong images; Nemiah Valley}