James, Jennifer.  "Survival Skills for the Future" (video, 22 minutes), available through Enterprise Media, Phone: (800)-423-6021, web page: www.enterprisemedia.com (free previews).

This video is a superb discussion starter on change for both classroom and meetings. It would be helpful in managing change, leadership, restructuring, and management development to understand what change is, see how change affects each of us, and learn steps for managing change.

• How can we see beyond our current belief systems to comprehend and deal with the new realities?
• How can we become comfortable with uncertainty and tolerate the uneasiness we naturally feel in times of transition?

We are inundated with hundreds of times more information in our lives today than any generation before us. Intelligence is no longer mere memory, and we need to use our brains differently to learn to solve problems and think in new ways.

We are in "the abyss of change" and must let go of the beliefs and forms of the past that hold us captive. Tomorrow's realities will create new pressures at work.

There are "three frames" that help managing in the future: Perspective, Energy, and Safety. 

--Perspective is a clear sense of reality requiring self-knowledge and awareness of historical and cultural factors: Where have we come from, where are we now, and where are we headed? What are the "filters" we use through which to view the future?

To gain perspective, one needs to: Stay open; Relax; Know one's history; Know the history of one's culture and the world; Know one's land mines; "Scan" for information.

--Energy is the ability to create action, both personally and on wider scales. Its sources have evolved to the current needs to prepare for a brains, technology, and services world-requiring communication, adaptation, the ability to move quickly, and strategies, and managing stress.

We've gone through four phases of societal transition--hunter/gatherer, agriculture, urban industry, and "brains, technology, and services." The current energy requirements are more mental and personal than physical. She then discusses seven action steps to create energy.

--Safety is the ability to feel comfortable and lower one's anxiety level about one's present and future, resulting in higher energy and creating perspective. It is a combination of common sense, mental health, and philosophy. It's a mental foundation for building energy and gaining perspective while handling the stress and challenge of transition. 

We can no longer use old-fashioned skills to solve the problems of the present. These three perspectives will help move us into the future. Her New Skills give six action steps: 1) Provide leadership to support transition; 2) Develop relationships and listen to one another; 3) Develop interpersonal skills and maintain high ethical standards; 4) Use competition to enhance cooperation by building alliances and relationships during your career; 5) Focus on the future and don't get distracted by the past; 6) Results, empowerment, education, and personal growth are as important as salary.

This is an excellent video to use to get down to the serious business of change after the excellent introduction of her other video, "Windows of Change." Once again, a valuable discussion guide sets one up for success.