Corporate Board Member recently interviewed Edie Weiner to get her outlook on the economy, jobs, and emerging issues for directors.

Here are some highlights from the interview (click here for the entire article):

When do you foresee the recession ending?

I don’t, because I don’t consider it a recession. I think that this is a fundamental transformation, and it [has been] coming for a long time. It started before the financial crisis, and the financial crisis exacerbated the speed with which everybody felt the transformation.

There has been an evolution of economies. We’ve been through the agricultural era, the industrial era, the post-industrial era, the emotile era, and what we’re moving into is what we call the metaspace era. And none of these go away. Each succeeding [era] is built on the one that came before. But what you used to make money on becomes commoditized because technology allows it to become so inexpensive that you just can’t get the same margins you used to on it, so you have to move up to the next value proposition.

The thing to understand is that we were in the agricultural era for tens of thousands of years, the industrial for 200, the post-industrial for 45, and the emotile for about 20 to 25, and we’re still there, but we’re moving into what we call the metaspace. So the real story is the collapsing of the time that it takes for technologies to come together and create enormous efficiencies in the way we do things. The problem is that we can’t grow new businesses fast enough to satisfy the labor that’s been displaced by the efficiencies, and that’s why we feel so much pain, and that’s why we’re not going to see those jobs come back.

What do you think boards should be concerned about, looking a few years into the future?

I think they need to be concerned about a couple of things. Number one, are the products and/or services that they’re offering or that they count on going to be around in the next three to five years, or will they be disinter-mediated by new players with completely new business practices, technologies, and delivery [methods]? There’s such a rapid replacement effect taking place now. So you have to wonder whether what you’re doing now will still command the dollars that you’re projecting for the next couple of years.

That’s an extremely important concern. That’s the core of your business. And that’s a real worry that I would have if I were a director. I would really want to know what game changers are out there that could completely disrupt the services and products that we’re currently offering, and I wouldn’t necessarily trust that I could get all that information inside the company. I would want to know from experts who are looking outside what is going on that could change the world of this company the way it exists.

And I would also be concerned about whether I’m doing the right things in order to get the best talent because in the end, whatever it is that [you] do, it’s about your people delivering to the marketplace.

Speaking of talent, do you foresee a time in the future when American public boards will be more diverse?

There’s no question about it. That’s already happening, and will continue to happen. However, it’s interesting when we think about what diversity means. If you declare diversity as being people who look different, speak different languages, or come from different parts of the world, if that’s your idea of diversity, then that is not stepping up to the business case for diversity. That’s the public relations case for diversity.

The business case for diversity is to have different ways of thinking on the board, different viewpoints. And that’s not an easy thing because much of what the board is about is having a comfort level with each other. I’m not concerned about diversity that you can see from the outside. Where I’m concerned is will the board step up to the need for diversity from the inside, and how comfortable will [directors] be with those voices that don’t track with what the CEO wants to hear or what the majority of the board wants to hear?

It really depends on the kind of company you are, but if you’re saying that you want to be a global company and you’re saying that one of the concerns is that you’re really not sure where your competition is going to come from in three years, why would you want people on your board who know the last 20 years and not the next 10?

In the midst of all this summer heat — not to mention earthquakes and a soon-to-be hurricane — I’ve had the pleasure of being added as a contributor for two great women-centric sites: SheTakesOnTheWorld and Webgrrls International. Every week, I’ll be posting new content, so please be sure to check it out.

Here are the links to my most recent blogs:

Women in Charge: The Emerging Global “She-conomy”
Crowd-Sourced Fashion: New Social Shopping Apps

Stay tuned for more on everything from women in STEM to nanotech clothing.

Check out the press release below which announces our exciting new partnership with GfK Roper Consulting:

GfK Custom Research North America announced today a strategic partnership between its trend consultancy division, GfK Roper Consulting, and futurist firm, Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc. (WEB).

This partnership will bring together consumer trends insights that GfK Roper Consulting provides to its clients through its various services, including flagship programs Roper Reports® US and Roper Reports® Worldwide with insights from WEB.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with WEB to further provide our clients with the tools that they need to understand, manage and profit from change,” says Holly Heline Jarrell, group managing director of GfK Roper Consulting. “By combining forces with WEB, we are providing a new level of insight on the future that marry our rich consumer perspective with key social, political and economic trends impacting business. We believe this powerful combination will enable our clients to anticipate and understand the future in an unparalleled way.” Edie Weiner, president of WEB, further comments, “We are delighted to be able to partner with GfK Roper Consulting and thus bring together two premier organizations to provide our clients with a greater understanding of what is happening in the world today and what will be happening in the world in the future.”

The first collaborative effort from this strategic partnership will focus on the current global economic climate and the opportunities that it presents, and is planned to launch in mid-November.

About GfK Roper Consulting
A division of GfK Custom Research North America, GfK Roper Consulting is comprised of GfK’s syndicated consumer trend services — GfK Roper Reports® US, GfK Roper Reports® Worldwide, GfK Roper Green Gauge and the GfK Roper Youth Report — which monitor consumer values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors in the US and more than 25 other countries. GfK Roper Consulting’s mission is to help clients turn insights into inspiration and foresight into advantage worldwide.

About GfK Custom Research North America
Headquartered in New York, GfK Custom Research North America is part of the GfK Group. The GfK Group offers the fundamental knowledge that industry, retailers, services companies and the media need to make market decisions. It delivers a comprehensive range of information and consultancy services in three business sectors— Custom Research, Retail and Technology and Media. The no. 4 market research organization worldwide operates in more than 100 countries and employs over 10,000 staff. In 2009, the GfK Group’s sales amounted to EUR 1.16 billion. For more information visit www.gfkamerica.com. Follow us at www.gfkinsights4u.com or on Twitter @gfkamerica.

This morning, Jared spoke in Atlanta at the annual NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) conference.  He  spoke about psychographic shifts among consumers for an audience that is generally comprised of convenience/petroleum retailers and retail product suppliers.

Here are some highlights from his talk:

On the surface, the current recession might seem similar to past recessionary cycles, but the true impact this time around is striking. Unlike past cycles where the pendulum returns to the middle, there has been a reset that has resulted in a true transformation. By better understanding the ethnography, lifestyle, life stage and macro changes to consumer behavior, you will be better able to meet the new needs of your transforming customers.

He also touched on the 8 growth areas of the emerging Metaspace economy; the shifting pricing strategies brought on by consumer psychographics, and trends relating to transportation, social media and youth.

The four of us (Edie, Arnold, Erica & Jared) have had the pleasure of working with Vibhuti Jha in numerous capacities over the years.  He always adds considerable insights at our quarterly STEP meetings, and possesses intimate and in-depth knowledge of Indian culture, economics and politics.  He is the President for the Human Potential Project, and a faculty member in McDaniel College, Baltimore, in their graduate program “Leadership in Global Enterprise”.

He contributes a regular column to the Times of India.  The text of his latest column (Leadership – Technology, Corruption and Redemption!) is listed below.  We love getting his perspective, so we hope you enjoy it!

Events of the last few weeks and days may not have caused any change in the lives of political leaders all over the world but the pivotal role of technology may perhaps be causing them some concern. In genuine and authentic democracies around the world, where we have freedom of the press, these events have become visible to the public, to the voters and the discussions continue almost round the clock! I am talking about the CWG scandal in India,  Wikileaks exposure of  the US and Pakistan’s double or triple play, Chinese human rights violations in Tibet, to name a few.

In each of these incidents people are witnessing  a crass manipulation of instruments of politics, religion,  diplomacy, economics and war by people in power who incidentally have given every justification for whatever they are doing  ‘in the name of the people.” In each of these events and incidents, technology has played a key role in exposing behind the scene manipulations and it enabled a continuous chase of those events in keeping the fire lit whenever and wherever possible. Even in cases where the issue seemed dead and buried, technology has created the potential and the possibility alive to bring the story to the forefront literally with a click of a mouse.  The dilemma for leaders now is that they cannot hide anymore, not for too long and certainly not forever!

The common man bestows unswerving loyalty and faith to those who are in position of power. They virtually end up worshipping those in power in an unfailing faith and hope that the powerful will lift the common miseries of the powerless. But that perhaps remains a pipe dream. What the leaders need to recognise, and they better do it fast, is that the time for camouflage, deception, forked tongue manipulation of the voters is gradually coming to an end, sooner than later.

And finally, our business leaders must recognise and realise that  technology tracks their every move,  every statement and action and there are just too many eyes watching and observing them whether via the webcam, satellites over or under and the trail left behind on the hardware via the software they use!  Nobody can get away with the lies and deceptions anymore.

The redemption for all leaders will come by committing to a better, authentic and impeccable transparency in conduct and behaviour for a majority regardless of the imperfections, difficulties and challenges of governance in a democratic set up. It is impossible to make everyone happy.  And, of course, there would still be many more who will continue to strive with their innovations in how to beat this imperfect system!  We are humans after all with unlimited potential – we need to channel our human potential in the right direction.

In previous posts, we talked about the eight distinct growth areas of the emerging Metaspace economy. One of these growth areas is design space (See our past blog post about design space here). We continue to scan interesting sites and blogs for emerging design applications that fit with not only the growing design imperative…but also with important marketplace trends.

Currently, and for the first time in history, more than half the world’s population lives in cities. This is a tremendous milestone with myriad long-term consequences. Urban planning, civil engineering, and architecture are among the disciplines that will be most profoundly impacted by the urbanization explosion. As the world becomes more urban, it inherently becomes more “vertical.” We often talk about the bourgeoning development of vertical farming as a future engine of both economic and environmental sustainability in dense urban centers. However, intriguing new design applications are also emerging that could one day redefine what it means to “live” vertically.

The longstanding norm of linear apartments stacked perfectly on top of one another in linear structures may soon be complemented by an entirely new paradigm. Those who desire urban living, but lament the forfeiture of many of the benefits of suburban/rural living may soon enjoy “stacked houses”. Could these types of designs ever take hold in a major urban metropolis? Surely, they would command a premium — not just for square footage, but also for cost of construction. However, this is a great example of cutting-edge engineering with an eye toward both the current design imperative and the global trend toward “vertical.”

Yesterday we had our quarterly multi-client meeting at the Affinia Dumont hotel where all of our retainer clients come and openly discuss the 6 (and in yesterday’s case 7) trends we have identified and outlined for that given quarter.

STEP stands for Strategic Trends Evaluation Process…but also stands for the four trends we look at on a consistent basis: social, technological, economic and political.  This is a client-focused, participatory program that provides our clients with a continuous look at emerging issues in the external environment —  and ultimately, what the trends mean for their customers, members, strategies and operations.

We had a wonderful roster of clients and guests around the table, who actively engaged in an off-the-record discussion of important trends in today’s current environment.  It’s always fascinating to see in what direction the conversation goes, and hear the buzzing of comments around the table.

Additional information on the STEP program is available on our website.  We encourage you to check it out.

Until the next one in September…

The future is a hotter topic than ever. We at WEB have been writing and lecturing about the emerging Virtual Economy for over 5 years, preparing our clients to see the fundamental shifts it is ushering in regarding value propositions, product and service offerings, social and political trends, and technological advances. Now that the economy appears somewhat robust, we see many more executives looking for resources to help them prepare for a very different world to come. Our business has benefited by that, and aside from an increase in our consulting work, in the first third of this year I have headed out for many interesting talks.

It began in January, working in Abu Dhabi for the Department of Economic Development, helping the senior leadership of the Dept. realize their strategic vision for the country. Then off to Davos, to keynote the Financial Times opening dinner for the world Economic forum. In February, I was the closing speaker at the Imagine Solutions Conference in Naples, Florida, which is a new TED-like conference developed by the Searching For Solutions Institute.  A few other trips later, and I was not only keynoting the first WBENC (Women Business Enterprise National Council) Salute and summit, but running many of their other sessions there in D.C. as well.  Over the next month, I will be doing a number of talks, including a guest lecture at the U.S. Army War College, the keynote for the Global Spa Summit in Istanbul, and the keynote for the WLE (Women’s Leadership Exchange) Virtual Summit. And then, on June 23rd, I will be honored by NOW NYC (the largest NOW chapter in the country) with their 2010 Woman of Power and Influence Award at their annual Gala here in New York. It’s too early to talk of all the things already on the calendar for the second half the year.

Of course, none of this includes our regular ongoing work with our clients, which continues to be exciting and groundbreaking. We are finding that our client companies are more eager than ever to move on with their challenges and opportunities, and to tap our understanding of the forces that will change their future. We all love the work we do, and now that we have harnessed multiple forms of communication with all of you, we expect that you will be hearing all kinds of interesting things from us in the months to come. Jared Weiner and Erica Orange are taking the lead in bringing our work to life for you, and I hope you are enjoying their blogs, tweets, and enhanced website offerings. Arnold Brown and I are excited about having this new generation of leadership in WEB, and the feedback from many of you so far has been wonderful.

Please remember that despite all the gloom and doom in the world (and much of it is warranted), there is  till a lot of good going on. The world and all of its aspects are fundamentally changing. And the new opportunities for all of us, as enterprises, regions, organizations and individuals, only multiply with time. Getting on with the business of life is sometimes difficult, but always rewarding. It’s all part of the journey into tomorrow. As we always say, the future will happen with or without you. So join us in trying to make it a better place to be.