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Look ahead 30 years into the future: "Do you think that the decisions being made by the current generation of leaders will leave your community in a better or worse state than it is today?"
GHD asked this question to 1,000 people in 10 countries.
I asked GHD's Global Lead Future Communities, Andrew Porter, about the survey and his optimism and to unpick the findings of the resultant CrossRoads Report.
GHD's Andrew Porter talks Crossroads and Optimism with Victor Perton
That Optimism Man Victor Perton
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As always at The Centre for Optimism, my first question to Andrew was what makes him optimistic.
Andrew told me, "There are so many elements to optimism, aren't there? At its core, it's about hope for the future. It's about a better outcome for all. It's about confidence to create a future we all want to be a part of. So, is it inspiration? is it aspiration? Is it the ability to achieve? Is it all of the above? Unpacking that, it means do what we can do today to accomplish all that is needed. That's my core definition of optimism. And, of course, I'm optimistic."
Levels of Optimism in Certain Countries: Andrew was intrigued by the fact that countries like Qatar, UAE, Singapore, the Philippines, and Chile were notably optimistic about the future. He explained, "The thing that was most interesting for us was who was actually really positive. And of the countries that we surveyed, Qatar, UAE, Singapore, Philippines, and Chile were all really positive."
Generational Divide in Optimism: The report revealed a significant generational divide, with younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials) more optimistic about the future. In comparison, older generations (Gen X and Boomers) were more pessimistic. Andrew noted, "Globally, the younger you are—so the Gen Z and Millennial cohorts—they're very positive about the future. Contrast that against Gen X and Boomers, particularly pessimistic."
Impact of Economic and Political Factors: Andrew discussed how economic issues, particularly housing affordability and the cost of living, heavily impacted people's outlook, especially in countries like Australia and the US. He said, "The housing affordability and cost of living crisis is really, really impacting globally. It popped up as the number one issue in society. And so I think that's weighing down on people."
Involving Youth in Decision-Making: Andrew suggested that involving younger generations in decision-making could be crucial for fostering a more optimistic outlook. He mentioned, "The simple answer based on the crossroads work is get the young people to make the decisions—they're optimistic."
Challenges in Leadership and Public Trust: Andrew also touched on the challenges posed by frequent changes in leadership, which can lead to policy reversals and delays, thereby affecting public trust and optimism. He remarked, "When you start looking around the world, leadership is constantly changing. And so certainty on outcome changes with leadership, things get reversed, or decisions are made more slowly or uncertainly, which impacts on people's perspective on outcome."
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