Write about a prediction

A pessimist, optimist and realist are talking about writing. Previously they agreed to write about new processes at work which means thinking about the impact a new process will have on the future.   

Optimist: Writing about the future is fun! Who doesn't like predicting what might happen. I'll write about tech trends, things that might happen at work and also imagine a world of future tech and how we might get there. It's liberating to be future facing knowing our role in tech can have a positive impact on shaping it. Writing about a future prediction helps me articulate my thoughts about what I can do now to influence the future. I also try to spot patterns about things that have happened to join the dots to predict things that might happen.

Pessimist: Er, what? How can you even think about predicting the future when all we have is past lessons and what's going wrong right now? There's no chance I could write about the future because I'll just look stupid when I'm proven wrong for getting it wrong. Predicting the future sounds like a great way to publish my mistakes in advance. I’ll stick to writing about the risks, the gaps, and the way things usually end up in tears.

Realist: That all makes sense. I make a note to come back to my predictions, let's say one from a year ago, and use that to spark a round of writing. Either I make another prediction or just reflect on the prediction by comparing it to what actually happened. So in that sense, it doesn't matter too much what predictions we make, it's more about using it as a tool to spark more writing. A "before and after" or "timeline" style of written work is a good way to engage a reader. 

Predictions often happen in industry reports, particularly ones with data to back up claims. So it's interesting to read and write about industry reports. More on that in a Moment.