The power of long-term thinking

Maybe in the generative AI era, the furious pace of development and off-boarding of employees will be accompanied by a renewed interest in long-term thinking and societal responsibility.

Panasonic might be about to give us a demonstration of the perfect balance.

At CES this month, Panasonic launched a programme to "promote the transition to an AI-based business model". But better yet, and perhaps unexpectedly, this is part of its 250 year plan!

Apparently, this is a philosophical construct of 10 connected 25 year plans, each with 10 years for construction, 10 years for activity and 5 years for societal contribution.

Now you could argue that it's not very lean and agile, and it would make more sense to fast-track parts 2 and 3, running them in parallel. But this ultra long-term planning goes back to the Edo period in the 1600s.

While not every enterprise labels its plan “250-year”, the idea of planning far beyond the lifetimes of current stakeholders is deeply embedded in the ethos of many old Japanese firms.

This might be just PR spin, but it's a timely reminder of the power of long-term thinking. And with the AI goldrush we're experiencing right now, it feels like exactly what's needed - how to embrace the new while being very mindful of legacy and far-reaching impacts.