What An Emerging "OPEN" World Means For The Health Club & Fitness Industry

Over the weekend I viewed @dtapscott and his recent and excellent TED Talk "Welcome To The Open World" [VIDEO BELOW]. Mr. Tapscott and I agree: the world is going through revolutionary times . What is most curious to me is how many leaders really don't see it; many continue to see the problems of today in the context of the past and the health club and fitness industry is certainly not immune from this. Business models, like health clubs, are going to experience great upheavel with some leveraging tremendous opportunities while others flounder. Any organization that participates in the fitness and health club business, be it through the delivery of education or industry advocacy, is going to have to fundamentally change how it operates to succeed in its mission. If leaders don't embrace that change their organizations will not survive.

When it comes down to what to do, a fundamental means for success requires aligning ones thinking to the new and present future. As I've menioned, this requires rethinking the problems of today in terms of what is really happening NOW; not in the context of the past. While not an easy task; it is a neccessary one.

 Don Tapscott explores this topic in his "Open World Talk" and shares what he sees as its 4 characteristics (Collaboration, Transparency, Sharing and Empowerment) . A few years ago I described the "Revolutionary World" as having six characteristics:

1. Old School Institutions Vanish

2. Orchestration Trumps Ownership

3. Transparency Modality Is Fundamental

4. The Rise Of The Rest As Wealth Is Redistributed

5. An Explosion Of Participants

6. Human Conciousness Evolves

The drivers of advancing technology ,globalsim and changing demograpgics are not going away. If these characteristics are a central part of how you view the future, great opportunities lie ahead. If you choose to ignore these traits then you are in peril. Watch the video clip from @dtapscott below and please tell me, Bryan O'Rourke, what do you think? Which fitness professionals and industry leaders do you think are preparing for what's to come ?  Whether one calls it the Open World or a Revolution do you think fundamental change is upon us ?  I think it is. Many thanks Don, for your great talk.

About the author:

Bryan O’Rourke is a health club industry expert, technologist, financier, and shareholder and executive in several fitness companies. He consults with global brands, serves as a member of the GGFA Think Tank is Chair of the Medical Fitness Association’s Education Committee, is President of the Fitness Industry Technology Council and a partner in Fitmarc, Integerus, Fitsomo and the Flywheel Group. To learn more contact Bryan here today .

Zeitgeist - Thinking Of The Future Of Your Business & Your Life

When I talk about a revolution happening in all businesses, industries, institutions, governments and people's lives, I really mean it. This is particularly true for the fitness and health club industry. Hearing from great thought leaders is inspiring because it reassures me that I might not be totally nuts, although I get that deer in the headlight look sometimes from people. That is why I am excited about the upcoming annual Zeitgeist event.

On May 15, 2011, the Zeitgiest Partner Forum will again be on in London. Zeitgeist is Google’s annual event held just outside London, currently in its 6th year, bringing together around 400 business and thought leaders from across Europe. Watch Don Tapscott discuss the revolution during last years event. Facts are our institutions are broken and they require completely new ways of thinking to completely replace their old methodologies. Its worth the 20 minutes I promise you. After you watch it tell me, Bryan O'Rourke, what do you think ? Are you reinventing your industry, organization or life around the rapid change that is occurring now and which will only accelerate ?

The Days of "Mass" Everything Are Over

In his book, "The Chaos Scenario", Bob Garfield, writer for Advertising Age magazine and co-host of NPR’s On the Media program, forecasts the disintegration of mass media and advertising structures that have dominated commerce for hundreds of years. Garfield astutely warns that all formerly top-down institutions cannot dictate to consumers with advertising through mass media as before, but must retool, restructure and reengineer their business models enbracing new digital tools and forging better relationships with customers—no longer seeing people as eyeballs or votes, but as REAL stakeholders in their enterprise.

Amid the ruins of mass media, the choice for business is stark: really listen and respond or perish.  This is evident in most industries today as they try to figure out rapical change brought on by mega trend convergences. As Garfield states in this illumantive video below, "Its a Revolution". Watch it !

The Chaos Scenario from Greg Stielstra on Vimeo.