logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
19m 11s

Uncertainty Advantage

Boston Consulting Group BCG
About this episode

Uncertainty is not a dirty word. While it may be impossible to predict the future, preparing for it is possible. Alan Iny, BCG’s partner and director of creativity and scenarios, explains that scenario planning and other exercises leave us better able to harness the future, whatever shape it takes. Iny acknowledges that this is hard work. Albert Einstein once doubted that atomic energy could be harnessed. But doubt itself is key to breaking free of stale business models and unlocking creativity.



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Up next
Aug 12
Is Your AI Rollout Built to Fail?
Kristy Ellmer and Julia Dhar, co-authors of How Change Really Works and founders of BCG’s Behavioral Science Lab, explain why so many transformations fail and what the science says separates success from failure. They break down the “messy middle,” why people resist being changed ... Show More
24m 36s
Jul 29
Retailers Are Drowning in Data. Is AI a Life Preserver?
Nick Goad, BCG's global co-leader for retail merchandising, argues that retail's biggest problem isn't a lack of data, it's the gap between data and real customer understanding. He explains how AI and large language models are finally bridging that divide, making it possible to l ... Show More
16m 50s
Jul 15
LLM or MD: Who Owns the Patient Journey?
Ben Keneally, BCG’s Asia Pacific health care services leader, explains why AI is now many patients’ first stop — often before they see a doctor. He argues that pairing AI with personal health records improves outcomes and equity, and that health leaders, not LLMs, must shape how ... Show More
21m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Preparing for an Uncertain Future…in the Future
By the year 2035, we will likely be able to utilize AI to crunch complex data sets and produce far more accurate predictions of the future, for everything from stock market fluctuations to consumer trends. Already, meteorologists are using AI to improve weather forecasting—for in ... Show More
33m 34s
Jul 2022
The Case for Embracing Uncertainty
For many of us, uncertainty is nerve-wracking. However, many of our best achievements and meaningful experiences come from a trying time of ambiguity. INSEAD professor Nathan Furr and entrepreneur Susannah Harmon Furr argue that uncertainty and possibility are two sides of the sa ... Show More
28m 10s
Jul 2025
Preparing for an Uncertain Future…in the Future (First Aired: November 27, 2024)
By the year 2035, we will likely be able to utilize AI to crunch complex data sets and produce far more accurate predictions of the future, for everything from stock market fluctuations to consumer trends. Already, meteorologists are using AI to improve weather forecasting—for in ... Show More
33m 20s
Jan 2024
Imagine This...: Peer into Possible Futures
What would you have done differently if you had anticipated the likelihood of a global pandemic or the explosion of generative AI? Spend time with BCG’s editor in chief, our conversational AI agent GENE, and BCG experts as they focus on what could lie ahead for our world—and how ... Show More
1m 24s
May 2022
Predicting the Future
Uncertainty can make us uncomfortable, so we often try to predict the future. But there can be beauty and even relief when we don’t know what’s going to happen. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Learn more about your ad choices. V ... Show More
4m 29s
Mar 2024
Are You Good at Embracing Uncertainty?
Uncertainty and anxiety are highly linked in our brains: when we aren’t sure what will happen, we often go into planning, defensive mode, trying to come up with every possible scenario and ensure a good outcome. Author Maggie Jackson looks at the ways that better managing uncerta ... Show More
46m 53s
Oct 2024
Don't let uncertainty hold up your life
You can make plans, even if you don't know what the future holds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
4m 46s
May 2022
The Futureverse: Moonshots In the Making
The future can look like a scary place. Climate change is upon us and we’re in the throes of huge technological change without a clear idea of where we will land. Added to which, we are constantly bombarded by news of the risks we face. But humans are creatures of collaboration a ... Show More
36m 6s
Dec 2023
Weaponizing uncertainty
Our show celebrates uncertainty. But as environmental reporter Amy Westervelt explains, the concept also has a dark side. For show transcripts, go to bit.ly/unx-transcripts For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more abou ... Show More
25m 21s
Apr 2020
Embracing the Benefits of Uncertainty
<p>John Maxwell reminds us time and time again that within every challenge is an opportunity to learn, grow, and lead. The challenge of uncertainty is no different. Uncertainty causes us to think differently and creatively, and to stay focused on the present. It tests our charact ... Show More
1h 20m