A topic of discussion for this week is macro trends in the macro environment and how they translate to opportunities and threats. Chapter 2 goes through Macroeconomic Forces, Global Forces, Technological Forces, Demographic Forces, Social Forces, and Political and Legal Forces. This is a convenient way to categorize all the stuff going on the world, but often macro trends relate to more than one category. Try not to get too hung up on the categories themselves, rather try to use them as a tool to think about how these forces lead to opportunities and threats.

Think about the macro trends and events going on in the world, the things a bit beyond your immediate control. What are the big things that are likely to shape society and industry, the ones that cannot be ignored for very long? Try to get at least one trend for each of the 6 macro categories. What opportunities does the trend represent, for which kinds of businesses or industries? What threats?

Posting Instructions: Pick the single most important macro trend to you or the company (insurance company) you work for, the one you think is going to have the biggest impact on your company or own career. Post it together with it's macro category, and any opportunities or threats associated with the trend for you or your business. What are you doing to prepare?